Resona Holdings Inc. plans to boost loans to domestic businesses looking to expand in Asia by 25 percent within a year, according to incoming President Kazuhiro Higashi.
Higashi, who assumes the post April 1, said he is targeting ¥50 billion in new loans to Japanese companies with operations in countries including China, Thailand and Indonesia by the end of next March. By market value, such loans by Japan's fifth-largest bank total ¥40 billion in the current fiscal year, which ends March 31.
"We're seeing growing interest in Asia expansion among our clients," Higashi, 55, currently deputy president, said in a recent interview. "We've had more than 700 consultations on the subject over the last six months — that's been quite a surprise."