Tender Offer Result

Standard Chartered PLC
31 October 2006





NOT FOR RELEASE, PUBLICATION OR DISTRIBUTION IN OR INTO THE UNITED STATES,
CANADA, AUSTRALIA OR JAPAN




        STANDARD CHARTERED RECOMMENDED TENDER OFFER FOR HSINCHU CLOSED:
                      95.40 PER CENT ACCEPTANCES ACHIEVED


Further to the announcements on 29 September 2006 and 23 October 2006 regarding
the recommended tender offer for Hsinchu International Bank ('Hsinchu'),
Standard Chartered PLC ('Standard Chartered') today announces that the tender
offer period has closed and that its subsidiary company, Standard Chartered
Bank, has received acceptances representing 95.40 per cent of the issued and to
be issued share capital of Hsinchu.

It is the intention of Standard Chartered to de-list Hsinchu, subject to
regulatory consent and Hsinchu corporate approval. Standard Chartered expects to
combine its existing Taiwanese operations with Hsinchu by late 2007, also
subject to regulatory consent and Hsinchu corporate approval.




Information on Hsinchu

Hsinchu is listed on the Taiwan Stock Exchange and has a strong presence in the
three wealthiest regions of Taiwan: Taipei, Taoyuan and Hsinchu. As at 30 June,
2006, Hsinchu had total assets of approximately USD13 billion. It has more than
2.4 million consumer deposit accounts and more than 115,000 corporate and small
and medium sized enterprises deposit accounts.

Hsinchu currently operates an island-wide distribution network of 83 branches.
Hsinchu has a long and established operating history of over 50 years and is the
seventh largest private sector bank in Taiwan, measured by loans and deposits,
as of 30 June, 2006.

Hsinchu's strong branch presence in the Hsinchu region enables it to tap a local
customer base that possesses the second highest average annual household income
in Taiwan, according to official statistics.



Information on Standard Chartered

Standard Chartered is listed on both the London Stock Exchange and the Hong Kong
Stock Exchange and is consistently ranked in the top 25 among FTSE-100 companies
by market capitalisation.

Standard Chartered has a history of over 150 years in banking and operates in
many of the world's fastest-growing markets with an extensive global network of
over 1,200 branches (including subsidiaries, associates and joint ventures) in
over 50 countries in the Asia Pacific region, South Asia, the Middle East,
Africa, the United Kingdom and the Americas.

The acquisition marks an important step in Standard Chartered's Asia strategy by
significantly enhancing Standard Chartered's presence in Taiwan, which is the
fifth largest economy in Asia and is Asia's fourth largest banking market,
according to Standard Chartered estimates.

Together with Standard Chartered's existing business in Taiwan, the acquisition
of Hsinchu would have made Taiwan Standard Chartered's fourth largest market by
income for the six months ended 30 June, 2006.





CONTACTS


Investors

Stephen Atkinson                            Ruth Naderer
Head of investor Relations                  Head of Investor Relations, 
                                            Asia Pacific
[phone]                        [phone]
[e-mail]   [e-mail]


Press

Sean Farrell                                Rita Liu
Head of Media Relations                     Head of Corporate Affairs, Hong Kong
[phone]                        [phone]
[e-mail]       [e-mail]



Margrit Chang
Consultant, Corporate Affairs, Taiwan
[phone]
[e-mail]






                      This information is provided by RNS
            The company news service from the London Stock Exchange                PQGMG