well.. HSBC = Hong Kong and Shanghai Banking Coorporation.. the name itself explain why it can be accepted to China as oppose to Cathay..

thats just my 0.00001 cents.. haha

hm.. actually.. i remember reading a book that said Cathay actually is the ancient name of China and Pacific actually means the desire of the airline to fly across the pacfic when it was first start up in the 1940s or 1950s (can't remember)