Who's Who in China (3rd edition)/Li Ming

Mr. Li Ming

李銘字馥荔

Mr. Li Ming is a native of Shaoshing, Chekiang, and was born in 1889. In early years he received his education in a middle school at Shaoshing and the Wayland Academy, Hangchow. Being anxious to obtain a higher education, he went to Japan and pursued his studies in the Yamaguchi Commercial College. After seven years in Japan, he returned to China just before the outbreak of the revolution and served the Chekiang provincial government as financial advisor to the Commissioner of Finance. Later on he joined the Shanghai office of the Chekiang Bank as manager and under his hand this institution underwent severe re-organization, being renamed the Chekiang Industrial Bank, Ltd. He introduced and directed its business along modern commercial banking lines instead of in semi-official nature. Since then it has been built up on modern business lines. He encouraged public savings by opening a Savings Bank Department along purely Western 'lines and participated in financing imports and exports by opening the Foreign Exchange Department in the Shanghai office of the Bank. Due to his work the Bank's capital was increased to $2,000,000, and the interest of the Chekiang provincial government was bought over at a premium of about 70% to make the bank a purely private institution. At the same time he acquired and built a permanent and commodious home to house the ever increasing activities of the bank and removed its head office from Hangchow to its present location in Shanghai at the corner of Hankow and Kiangse Roads, known as the Chekiang Industrial Bank building. In the course of more than thirteen years in Shanghai his time and energy have mostly been devoted to the development of banking as well as commerce and industry. He is one of the prominent figures in banking circles in China and is one of the founders of the Shanghai Chinese Bankers Association. He is now director and general managger of The Chekiang Industrial Bank, Ltd., director of The Bank of China, The Bank of Communications, and also the Shanghai Commercial and Savings Bank, Ltd., which last institution he in company with K. P. Chen, its director and general manager, with one or two others helped to promote. Mr. Li is purely self-made, good natured, kind hearted, generous, self-confident, full of energy, and with always a keen eye in business and financial matters. He has given much of his time for public service and education and was decorated by the Chinese government in 1921 with the third Order of Chiaho for meritorious public service.