As RBS retreats to its home market, one of the big areas of contraction will be Asia, where its regional presence greatly expanded after the acquisition of ABN Amro, writes Sundeep Tucker .

The bank signalled its retreat last month with the sale of its $2.4bn (£1.6bn) stake in Bank of China. Stephen Hester, chief executive, went a step further yesterday, announcing the sale of its Asian retail and commercial banking operations. It has hired Morgan Stanley to lead the divestment.