"It's really the British side's affair," said Vincent Cheng Hoi-chuen, chairman of local arm Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corp. "The European economy is not faring well, so it's not surprising to have positions reduced or natural wastage to compete better."

Cheng said in Hong Kong the bank has been recruiting staff, especially for frontline jobs.

HSBC sacked some 650 workers late last year and early 2009 when the global financial crisis began to bite hard, but hired 100 people in August.

And its insurance business said earlier this week it is hiring more financial services officers. HSBC will continue its Asian expansion while maintaining its present scale of its business in Britain, Cheng said.

UK rivals Royal Bank of Scotland and Lloyds Banking Group received bailouts totaling 46.5 billion (HK$595.11 billion) from the British government, but Cheng said HSBC is not facing any financial pressure.

He added the US$18 billion (HK$140.4 billion) raised from a rights issue earlier this year has yet to be used.

Cheng refuted claims that a 508 million yuan (HK$576.63 million) premium HSBC paid for its joint venture with the Bank of Communications (3328) is unfair, saying the local lender is very positive about its partner's credit card business development in the mainland.

Cheng believes recent moderate property price adjustments have not affected HSBC's mortgage business, adding more affordable homes may even give it a boost.