News Release

HSBC Bank Asian Financial Expo to Debut in Flushing

15 October 2002

NEW YORK – HSBC Bank USA today announced that it will host its first HSBC Asian Financial Expo. The Expo, which is open to the public free of charge, will take place on Saturday, October 19th and Sunday, October 20th, 2002, at the Sheraton LaGuardia East Hotel in Flushing, New York. This informative event will feature seminars and exhibits on a wide range of financial topics including the importance of asset allocation, education planning, and estate planning strategies. The majority of the seminars will be conducted in either Mandarin or Cantonese.

"HSBC Bank USA has a long tradition of serving the financial needs of the Asian community in New York," said Paul Ho, District Executive, HSBC Asian Market Branches. "This Expo allows the Chinese community to explore our wide range of financial services and products in a comfortable and informative environment."

The Sheraton LaGuardia East Hotel is located at 135-20 39th Avenue. Parking is available at the hotel. Hours for the HSBC Financial Expo are 10:00 a.m.- 3:30 p.m. on both Saturday and Sunday. Individuals who would like additional information about this event should contact Carmen So at 212/525-2596.

HSBC offers bilingual banking services to New York Citys Asian population through select HSBC branches, including nine retail branches located in Chinatown in Lower Manhattan, in Sunset Park, Brooklyn, and in Elmhurst and Flushing in Queens. HSBC also has Asian market branches in Philadelphia, and Oakland, California.