In Taiwan, says Mr Huang, the goal of every banker is to know his clients so well he can be a matchmaker for their children.

ECONOMIST: America��s best bank

"The job we do today is very similar to what we did 29 years ago, which is to be a matchmaker between buyers and sellers around the world, " says Paul Mottram, Global Sources vice president of marketing.

CNN: Grandaddy of Them All

It's fair to expect the insurer to either develop its holding now, or become a more upfront matchmaker with, say, France's Societe Generale, now widely thought to be a good fit.

BBC: A European merger wave is coming