The new single currency has also set off a wave of cross-border mergers and acquisitions.

ECONOMIST: Wo ist Goldilocks?

And Europe remains a difficult place for cross-border mergers in financial industries.

ECONOMIST: Yes, but who won?

Cross border mergers and acquisitions between China and the rest of the world will be a big story, the kind that makes investment bankers salivate someday.

FORBES: 2011 Predictions: How Did We Do?

See page 160 for the survey, which will help you keep up in a world of cross-border hostile mergers, global competition and ADRs.

FORBES: Sidelines

Thus a second option: to go for cross-border mergers, and try to create something big enough to confront the world's megabanks.

ECONOMIST: Banks better buck up

According to a recent study by Mercer Oliver Wyman, a consulting group, and Morgan Stanley, an investment bank, cross-border mergers can work if the buyer brings more sophisticated information-technology and risk management to the target.

ECONOMIST: European banks

We haven't seen a lot of cross border mega-mergers here until recently because regulations varied from country to country and nationalism and paraochialism kept predators at bay.

CNN: ASIANOW - Asiaweek | Intelligence | Business: Pick up the Pieces

The European Commission is fearful that Poland's stance marks a growing trend of protectionism from states trying to block cross-border mergers, notably in the banking and utilities industries.

BBC: NEWS | Business | EU and Poland clash on bank deal