As one of the world's 50 largest listed banks, our top priorities are to provide excellent financial services and create value for our shareholders. We are also committed to improving the social and environmental well-being of the communities in which we operate and promoting sustainable development.

This online report is designed to give general public a better understanding of our corporate responsibility beliefs and achievements, and also serves to benchmark our 2007 performance against high standards of corporate responsibility.

Through our efforts to strengthen our position as a premier provider of financial services and products, we achieved strong financial results for 2007. Last year, attributable profit grew to $18,242 million or 51.5 per cent, as compared with 2006; earnings per share rose by 51.4 per cent to $9.54.

We are proud to have had both our financial and non-financial performance recognised by a number of awards. Our outstanding team continues to reach for new heights of service excellence.

We have been a constituent stock of the FTSE4Good Global Index since 2001 and the Hong Kong Council of Social Service has recognised us as a Caring Company every year since 2003. Last year, the Bank won the Environmental Excellence award at the Asian CSR Awards.

Last year, our employees contributed over 9,600 volunteer hours to local community activities and the Bank gave more than $22 million in donations and community sponsorships to support good causes.

Following the growth of our mainland China business, we have also committed to enhancing the well-being of Mainland communities. Recent initiatives include:

• Offering environmental studies scholarships to 11 Mainland universities;
• Launching the Hang Seng China Education Series for Hong Kong students;
• Launching the Hang Seng Pearl River Delta Environmental Awards to encourage sound environmental practices by factories in Southern China; and
• Building 200 biogas toilets in Yunnan province to provide renewable energy to villagers.

As the Bank celebrates its 75th anniversary this year, I look forward to continuing to work with our 9,000 employees - as well as customers, shareholders and suppliers - to promote the sustainable development of our community.