Rong Hongqing

Rong Hongqing (1923 – March 3, 2022), male, from Wuxi, Jiangsu, was a renowned Chinese banker and industrialist. He graduated in 1946 from the Department of Business Administration at Hujiang University. The Rong family to which he belonged is one of China's most prominent modern families; his father, Rong Zongjing, was known as the "Flour King" and the "Textile King." Among his relatives is Rong Yiren, Vice President of China.

In terms of his career, Rong Hongqing began serving as a director of Taiwan's Shanghai Commercial & Savings Bank (hereafter referred to as Shanghai Commercial Bank) in 1964, was promoted to vice chairman in 1973, became deputy chairman in 1983, and served as chairman from 1991 onwards. During his tenure, the bank gradually transitioned from a relatively conservative institution to an open one, expanding its branch network and business scope, and became an important player in Taiwan’s financial industry. Shanghai Commercial Bank was established after the war and was one of the largest private banks in China at that time, with over 100 branches across mainland China. By 2020, Rong Hongqing successfully established the bank’s first branch in mainland China in his hometown of Wuxi, marking his efforts to expand into the Chinese mainland financial market.

Beyond banking, Rong Hongqing held various corporate and societal positions, including director of the Hong Kong and Shanghai Banking Corporation, chairman of Shanghai Shennan Textile Co., Ltd., executive director and general manager of Nanyang Group Co., Ltd., and chairman of Taiwan China Travel Service. He also served as chairman of the Cotton Spinning Industry Union and as a standing committee member of the Commercial and Trade Bureau in Hong Kong. Additionally, he contributed to cross-strait exchanges, promoting projects such as the "World Expo Wuxi Experience Tour" through his financial institutions.

His involvement in the textile industry began early; he led efforts with family members to move the Nanyang Textile Factory to Shanghai and co-founded Shennan Textile Factory with Songmian No. 22 Factory, an important project in Shanghai’s textile sector, where he served as chairman. His family's influence in business extended both within China and internationally, and he is regarded as one of the most representative industrialists in China.

Rong Hongqing was also passionate about culture and public welfare. He established the "Rong Hongqing Scholarship" in Wuxi to support local education and donated to cultural heritage sites and research. He passed away in Hong Kong on March 3, 2022, at the age of 99. Throughout his life, he engaged in social and economic contributions in a low-profile manner, fostering cultural exchange and promoting financial cooperation between mainland China and Taiwan.