SINGAPORE (Standard&Poor's) Oct. 27, 2011--Standard&Poor's Ratings Services today assigned its 'BBB+' issue rating and 'cnAA-' Greater China credit scale rating to The Bank of East Asia Ltd.'s (BEA; A-/Stable/A-2; cnAA/--/cnA-1) drawdown from its existing US$3 billion medium-term notes program. The bond issue is an unsecured and subordinated obligation of BEA, and shall at all times rank pari passu with all other unsecured and subordinated obligations. RELATED CRITERIA AND RESEARCH Financial Institutions Criteria, published as a PDF book in July 2008 Standard&Poor's Approach To Rating Bank Securities, published March 19, 2004