News Releases

BMO Bank of Montreal today announced the launch of a simplified Chinese character option on its Internet site.  Chinese speaking customers who have come from Mainland China can now easily browse the bmo.com site using the characters they are accustomed to and that they have been using before they arrived in Canada.

"We have launched this new option in response to the request of a large number of our customers who have immigrated from Mainland China and who are more familiar with the simplified Chinese character version of the written language,” said Peggy Sum, Senior Vice President, Asian Markets, BMO Bank of Montreal.  "The simplified character bmo.com site is just one of the things we are doing to grow our business with customers who have arrived from Mainland China.  In addition, over the past few years, BMO Bank of Montreal has increased its Putonghua/Mandarin speaking frontline staff and has arranged a number of Putonghua investment and business seminars to serve our Mainland Chinese customers better."

To find the nearest BMO Bank of Montreal branch with Putonghua/Mandarin speaking staff to serve you, call the BMO Chinese hotline at 1-800-650-8800.

BMO Bank of Montreal was one of the first Canadian banks to provide Chinese language options for its automatic banking machines, automated telephone banking services and discount brokerage services.  The bank launched its Chinese language web site in February 2001 and added a Chinese glossary service to its online banking services in June 2002 to help serve its large Asian customer base.  The bank also serves the Asian market through its extensive relationships in China, including maintaining branches in Beijing, Guangzhou and Hong Kong and a representative office in Shanghai.

BMO Bank of Montreal is a member of BMO Financial Group, one of the largest financial services providers in North America.  BMO Financial Group serves clients across Canada and in the United States through its Canadian retail arm, BMO Bank of Montreal, through its Chicago-based Harris Bank, a major U.S. mid-west financial services organization, and through BMO Nesbitt Burns, one of Canada's leading full-service investment firms.

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