Bank of East Asia (BEA) will focus on expanding its operations in China after strong lending growth in the mainland helped the bank return to profit in the second half of last year, Bloomberg reported. Net income for the six months ending December 31 came to US$180 million, compared to a loss of US$110 million in the second half of 2008, the bank’s first shortfall in at least 40 years. Full-year net income was US$330.8 million, up from US$5 million in 2008. BEA’s total China deposits rose 28% last year while lending grew by 4.4%. The bank had 78 branches in the mainland as of the end of January and was the first foreign lender to issue debit cards there. “Going forward, BEA will maintain its focus on building a strong franchise in Greater China,” said David Li, the bank’s chairman. Deputy CEO Brian Li said BEA’s capital in the mainland should be sufficient to support asset growth over the next two years. After that, the bank may have to raise more capital to meet regulatory requirements.