Bank of America yesterday said it was sitting on a potential gain of more than $30bn on its investment in China Construction Bank, highlighting the paper profits some western banks have made on holdings in their Chinese counterparts.

两年前，美国银行出资30亿美元获得中国建行8.5%的股权，以及一项以极低价格将持股比例提高至19.9%的选择权。美国银行计划第四季度通过现有股权计入约160亿美元的所得。

BofA paid $3bn two years ago for an 8.5 per cent stake in CCB and an option to increase to 19.9 per cent at a very low price. The bank plans to record a gain of about $16bn on its existing stake in the fourth quarter.

美国银行首席财务官乔o普赖斯(Joe Price)表示："从账面上看，我们的潜在获利超过了300亿美元。"他补充称，在未来2至3年内，该银行将能够兑现其持有的部分股权。

"On paper we have a potential gain in excess of $30bn," said Joe Price, BofA's chief financial officer, adding that it would be able to cash in some of its holding over the next 2 to 3 years.

包括汇丰(HSBC)、苏格兰皇家银行(Royal Bank of Scotland)、高盛(Goldman Sachs)和美林(Merrill Lynch)在内的一些其它西方银行，也对中国的银行进行了类似的投资。由于中国股价飙升，这些持股带来了丰厚的利润。

Other western banks, including HSBC, Royal Bank of Scotland, Goldman Sachs and Merrill Lynch, made similar investments in Chinese banks that have generated large gains thanks to soaring Chinese stock prices.

美国银行的潜在获利，足以完全抵消其迄今为止因美国次级抵押贷款危机所面临的问题。

BofA's potential gain more than outweighs¹ the problems it faces so far as a result of the US subprime mortgage meltdown.

普赖斯昨日表示，因持有与次级抵押贷款相关的资产，美国银行正面临着另外30亿美元的减记。这一估计亏损额与一些分析师的预期相符，纽约股市午盘时该股上涨3%至45.40美元，以此推算，该银行的市值仅略高于2000亿美元。

Mr Price yesterday said BofA was facing a further $3bn of writedowns on its subprime-related holdings. The estimated losses were in line with some analysts²' expectations and the shares were up 3 per cent at $45.40 at noon in New York, valuing the bank at just over $200bn.

此前的会计处理中，美国银行所持的建行股权以成本计价，而根据新的会计准则，必须"按市场价衡量"。上周这些股权的价值约为190亿美元。

BofA had carried the CCB stake in its books at cost but has to "mark it to market" under new accounting³ rules. The stake was worth about $19bn last week.

美国银行大发横财与竞争对手花旗集团(Citigroup)形成了鲜明对比。花旗经过长期竞购才获得广东发展银行(Guangdong Development Bank)的控制权。广发银行是中国南方一家陷入困境的银行。

BofA's windfall contrasts with rival Citigroup, which fought a long battle to get control of Guangdong Development Bank, a struggling lender in the south.

花旗昨日披露了其资本市场业务进一步改组计划。花旗美国信贷业务主管查德o利特(Chad Leat)和欧洲信贷业务主管马克o沃森(Mark Watson)在重组中正遭到排挤。

Citi yesterday unveiled a further shake-up of its capital markets operation. Chad Leat, Citi's US head of credit, and Mark Watson, his European counterpart, are being sidelined in the reorganisation.

纽约股市午盘，花旗股价上涨近5%。

Citi's share price was up nearly 5 per cent at noon in New York.