Bank of America  plans to issue a joint Chinese credit card with partner China Construction Bank next year, part of an Asian expansion plan that will increase its regional staff by up to 20 percent in the next two years, said Reuters, quoting Chief Executive Ken Lewis. The No. 2 U.S. lender, which is planning a slow but steady entry to the region's roaring equity underwriting and M&A businesses, will join rivals Citigroup and HSBC in the fast-growing but highly competitive Chinese cards market, said Reuters. Bank of America, which has built equity capital markets and merger and acquisitions operations in the United States to complement its fixed income and corporate lending operations, is not rushing to boost those businesses in Asia despite an ever-increasing number of IPO and M&A deals.