BMO Capital Markets today announced the addition of investment banking services to the range of financial products and services offered by BMO Financial Group in China. The opening of the representative office in Beijing increases BMO’s capacity in the Chinese cities in which it operates, which include Guangzhou, Hong Kong and Shanghai.

“We consider this the next vital step to achieving our objective of becoming a most trusted adviser to Chinese business leaders,” said Tony Comper, president and CEO, in a news release.

The office in Beijing will help offer a broad range of investment and corporate banking services to Chinese and North American institutional, corporate and government clients. The new office, liaising with and working through the parent company’s professional teams in North America, will help leading Chinese companies looking to acquire assets in North America by providing equity capital markets services, as well as mergers and acquisitions advisory services. The new BMO Capital Markets office will also help Chinese financial institutions securitize assets to improve their capital adequacy and assist Chinese securities firms that offer securitization products to their corporate and government clients.

“We are exceptionally well-positioned to take advantage of China’s enormous growth,” said Yvan Bourdeau, CEO, BMO Capital Markets and Head, Investment Banking Group. “We have our own people on the ground, such as Tony Choy, managing director, BMO Capital Markets, now appointed as the Chief Representative for the Beijing office, working closely with local advisers who understand local legal and regulatory structures, as well as the rights and obligations that derive from partnerships.”

“Our initial focus will be in the mining, energy, forest products and financial services sectors, and will later broaden to include other industries. As China’s capital markets mature, we will grow with them to better serve our Chinese clients in China, our Chinese clients in North America as well as our North American clients interested in China,” said Choy.

“Adding BMO Capital Markets’ services in Beijing further entrenches us in preparation for January 2007, when China fully opens its financial system to foreign competition in order to fulfill its WTO accession commitments,” said Comper. “We’re ready.”