ICBC Opens London Branch The Industrial and Commercial Bank of China (ICBC) London Branch of- ficially opened for business on December 1, 2014. It is the first bank branch from the Chinese mainland to open in the UK since 1949. At the opening ceremo- ny, ICBC Chairman Jiang Jianqing said that the bank has always valued the British market and regarded London as a core strategic facet of its over- seas development.