BNP Paribas SA announced on Monday the appointment of Paul Yang as the head for Greater China region, as well as head of China business, effective Sept 1.

Eric Raynaud, chief executive officer of BNP Paribas Asia Pacific, said: "As the China market continues to open up and becomes increasingly important to the global economy, it is key for us to continuously step up our integrated approach in growing our business and serving our clients in the region. Therefore, we've decided to create a new role to look after the Greater China region, which is a crucial market in our Asia-Pacific development plan."

Yang joined BNP Paribas in 1988 and has held various senior positions in France and Asia over the years. He was appointed CEO of the bank's Hong Kong branch in 2011.

Laurent Couraudon, current head of China business, will take a leave to pursue a personal project, the bank said in a statement. 

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