Standard Chartered Bank will be doubling its Shanghai staff to 1,400 by year-end, with plans to open Guangzhou, Suzhou and Chengdu branches within three months, state media reported, citing the bank's newly appointed CEO for China, Katherine Tsang. Tsang said Standard Chartered is talking with smaller Chinese banks to acquire stakes, but declined to identify which banks. The bank has signed a framework agreement with Chinese partners to buy a 19.9% stake in Bohai Bank, a new commercial bank to be established in Tianjin.