Shanghai Commercial And Savings Bank (1915-1937)

The Shanghai Commercial Savings Bank (Shanghai Bank in brief) is a miracle among the Commercial Banks in Modern China. With its small starting capital, it developed at a rather high speed soon after having been established by progressing steadily and being diverse in its operation. In the past years the academia and people in other related areas showed great interest in it, but so far there has not been a work of a high academic value on this topic. This thesis takes as its study object the Shanghai Bank between 1915 (when the bank was established) and 1937 (when the War of Resistance Against Japan began). By putting in order its developing sequences and carrying out monographic investigation on its main operating activities, this thesis is trying to reveal its striking features of these activities, which are as follows:First, Shanghai Bank has achieved a great increase in both its capital and its business in the first 22 years since its establishment. Compared with other banks during that period, it was developing at a relatively high speed, with its business diversified and its operation steady. Although there were some crises, it managed to survive and made itself a commercial bank of great ideal.Secondly, by investigating its main business respectively, the thesis reveals that the Shanghai Bank attached great importance to serving the society, and assisting the industry and commerce. It won the trust of the society with its careful and considerate service.Thirdly, Shanghai Bank did not have a close relationship with the government. Considering the social background at the time, the bank could not be independent of the influence form the government during that decade before the war; moreover, its leading group, who wanted to promote its business smoothly, tried to be close to the government to some extent. But generally speaking, Shanghai Bank was not very successful in its attempt to build a good relationship with the government. Instead of bringing it reliable profits, this kind of relationship was likely to bring its normal operation at risk. Considering this, the bank in its operation process kept a distance from the government at the time.The development of some banks in Modem China had close relationship with the government, but Shanghai Bank succeeded by commercializing its operation.