--FILE--View of a logo of London-listed Standard Chartered Bank in Shanghai, China, 30 November 2016. Standard Chartered Plc said on Monday (20 March 2017) it will increase investments in China this year with a focus on digital banking, wealth management and its renminbi business while seeking to partner up with the Chinese side under the Belt and Road Initiative. Jose Vinals, chairman of the London-based international banking and financial services company, said that China is a critical market for the bank as the country and the northern Asian region are contributing about 40 percent to the group's total income. Vinals expressed optimism about long-term economic prospects in China, which remains a strategically important and a top-priority market for the company as it pushes through with its transformation through the cleanup of bad assets, cost reductions and strengthened risk discipline. The group posted a pre-tax profit of $409 million last year, turning around from a loss of $1.5 billion a year earlier.
