Tokyo, December 19 2005 - JCB, the only Asian-based international payment brand, is pleased to announce that its international subsidiary, JCB International (JCBI), signed an ATM gateway agreement with China UnionPay (CUP) on 16 December. This will enable CUP cardholders to have access to ATM networks in Japan through a gateway platform provided by JCBI.

The acceptance will begin with the UFJ Bank ATM network of more than 6,000 ATMs from March 2006, the first time that CUP’s 800 million members will be able to use an ATM network in Japan. Following the arrangement with UFJ Bank, the acceptance will be expanded to Japan Post which will open its network of 26,000 ATMs to CUP cards starting in May 2006.

“We are happy to partner with CUP for this new business opportunity”, said Mr. Hiroya Nobuhara, Chairman & CEO of JCBI. “Visitors from China to Japan will experience a significant increase in convenience, and this arrangement will certainly contribute to the expansion of Japan’s tourist industry and the creation of new opportunity for financial institutions in Japan by serving Chinese travelers”, he added.

Mr. Liu Yongchun, Director & Executive Vice President of China UnionPay said “Through this partnership with JCB, CUP cardholders can now enjoy a tremendous new service with access to ATM networks in Japan. In line with our commitment to the best customer service and quality, we are pleased to offer the increasing numbers of Chinese travelers to Japan the benefits and convenience of ATM access, as well as generate a new business opportunities for financial institutions and ATM operators in Japan”

China UnionPay, based in Shanghai and licensed by People’s Bank of China, is China’s only national payment network, and was jointly established in March 2002 by more than 80 financial institutions in China.

The number of Chinese visiting Japan has been growing rapidly in recent years, reaching 620,000 in 2004, a significant increase of 37% over the previous year, and is expected to climb to one million in the near future. The acceptance of CUP cards at Japan’s ATMs will bring a new revenue stream for financial institutions and ATM operators in Japan.

About China UnionPay Co., Ltd.
China UnionPay (CUP) is the only bankcard association in China. There are over 800 million CUP cards. CUP started its international expansion by opening acceptance of CUP cards in Hong Kong in January 2004, Macao in September 2004, and Singapore, Thailand, and South Korea in January 2005. For more information, please visit the China UnionPay home page at: www.chinaunionpay.com/englishversion.

About JCB
JCB is an international credit card brand and the largest card issuer and acquirer in Japan. JCB launched its card business in Japan in 1961 and began expanding overseas in 1981. Its merchant network includes 12.2 million merchants and spans 190 countries and territories. JCB cards are now issued in 18 countries and territories, with 53.59 million cardmembers. As part of its international growth strategy, JCB has formed alliances with more than 320 leading banks and financial institutions globally to increase merchant coverage and cardmember base. Since 1982, JCB has partnered with prestigious financial institutions in China for merchant services, originally to meet demand from JCB cardmembers traveling to that country. CUP has been handling JCB card transactions in China since entering a merchant services agreement with JCBI in 2003. As the ongoing rapid growth of the Chinese economy is making China one of the largest potential credit card markets in the world, JCB has been focusing on expanding relationships with issuing partners such as Bank of China and Bank of Shanghai, which began issuing JCB brand cards earlier this year. JCB's corporate philosophy of "Service from the heart", a commitment to responsive and high-quality service, continues to guide it as it creates the future together with its customers, merchants and partners. For further information, please visit the JCB home page at: http://www.jcb-global.com/english (English), http://www.jcb-global.com/china (Chinese), http://www.jcb-global.com/korea (Korean) or www.jcbcorporate.com/english (English).