8-K

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                UNITED STATES SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
                             Washington, D.C. 20549

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                                    FORM 8-K

                                 CURRENT REPORT

     PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

       Date of Report (Date of earliest event reported): October 25, 2005

                             CATHAY GENERAL BANCORP
             (Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

            Delaware                    0-18630                95-4274680
(State or other jurisdiction of       (Commission             (IRS Employer
         incorporation)               File Number)         Identification No.)

     777 North Broadway, Los Angeles, California                   90012
       (Address of principal executive offices)                 (Zip Code)

       Registrant's telephone number, including area code: (213) 625-4700

                                 Not Applicable
          (Former name or former address, if changed since last report)

Check the appropriate box below if the Form 8-K filing is intended to
simultaneously satisfy the filing obligation of the registrant under any of the
following provisions:

[ ]  Written communications pursuant to Rule 425 under the Securities
     Act (17 CFR 230.425)

[ ]  Soliciting material pursuant to Rule 14a-12 under the Exchange
     Act (17 CFR 240.14a-12)

[ ]  Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 14d-2(b) under the
     Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14d-2(b))

[ ]  Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 13e-4(c) under the
     Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.13e-4(c))

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ITEM 8.01    OTHER EVENTS

       On October 25, 2005, Cathay General Bancorp announced, in a press
release, that it has exercised options to purchase 41% of the outstanding stock
of Great Eastern Bank. Closing of the purchase of Great Eastern Bank stock
pursuant to the stock options is subject to the receipt of the necessary
regulatory approvals and the satisfaction or waiver by Cathay General Bancorp of
other conditions to closing. That press release is attached hereto as Exhibit
99.1.

ITEM 9.01    FINANCIAL STATEMENTS AND EXHIBITS.

(c)    Exhibits

       99.1  Press Release of Cathay General Bancorp dated October 25, 2005.



                                    SIGNATURE

         Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934,
the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the
undersigned thereunto duly authorized.

Date: October 25, 2005

                                               CATHAY GENERAL BANCORP

                                               By:  /s/ Heng W. Chen
                                                    ----------------------------
                                                    Heng W. Chen
                                                    Executive Vice President and
                                                    Chief Financial Officer



                                  EXHIBIT INDEX

Number     Exhibit
- ------     ---------------------------------------------------------------
99.1       Press Release of Cathay General Bancorp dated October 25, 2005.

EX-99.1

                                                                    Exhibit 99.1

 CATHAY GENERAL BANCORP EXERCISES OPTIONS TO PURCHASE 41% OF GREAT EASTERN BANK

    LOS ANGELES, Oct. 25 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Cathay General Bancorp (the
"Company") (Nasdaq: CATY), the holding company for Cathay Bank, announced today
that it had exercised options to purchase 41% of the outstanding stock of Great
Eastern Bank.

    Closing of the purchase of Great Eastern Bank stock pursuant to the stock
options is subject to the receipt of the necessary regulatory approvals and the
satisfaction or waiver by the Company of other conditions to closing. The
Company has made the necessary regulatory filings with the Federal Reserve Bank
of San Francisco and the New York State Banking Department to acquire up to 100%
of the stock of Great Eastern Bank.

    Great Eastern Bank is party to a transaction agreement with UCBH Holdings,
Inc. which cannot be completed without the approval of holders 66 2/3rds of
Great Eastern Bank shareholders. The Company has stated that it intends to vote
any shares it may acquire against the proposed transaction with UCBH. The
Company has previously announced a proposal to acquire Great Eastern Bank at a
higher price, with what it believes to be greater certainty of consummation and
on other more favorable terms than the undisclosed agreement between Great
Eastern Bank and UCBH.

    ABOUT CATHAY GENERAL BANCORP
    Cathay General Bancorp is the holding company for Cathay Bank, a California
state-chartered bank. Founded in 1962, Cathay Bank offers a wide range of
financial services. Cathay Bank currently operates twenty-nine branches in
California, four branches in New York State, one in Massachusetts, one in
Houston, Texas, one in Washington State, and representative offices in Taipei,
Hong Kong, and Shanghai. Cathay Bank's website is found at
http://www.cathaybank.com/.

    FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS AND OTHER NOTICES
    Statements made in this news release, other than statements of historical
fact, are forward-looking statements within the meaning of the applicable
provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. All
statements other than statements of historical facts included in this news
release are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are not
guarantees. They involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other
factors that may cause the actual results, performance, or achievements, of
Cathay General Bancorp to be materially different from any future results,
performance, or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking
statements. Such risks and uncertainties and other factors include, but are not
limited to, adverse developments or conditions related to or arising from: the
Company's ability to successfully consummate a transaction with Great Eastern
Bank, the price and other terms on which a transaction is consummated with Great
Eastern Bank, or the Company's ability to realize the benefits of such a
transaction if consummated. These and other factors are further described in
Cathay General Bancorp's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December
31, 2004, its reports and registration statements filed (including those filed
by GBC Bancorp prior to its merger with Cathay General Bancorp) with the
Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC") and other filings it makes in the
future with the SEC from time to time. All forward-looking statements speak only
as of the date of this news release. Cathay General Bancorp has no intention and
undertakes no obligation to update any forward-looking statements, whether as a
result of new information, future events or otherwise or to publicly announce
the results of any revision of any forward-looking statement to reflect future
developments or events. There can be no guarantee that any transaction between
Cathay General Bancorp and Great Eastern Bank will occur or what the price or
terms of any such transaction may be.



    Cathay General Bancorp's filings with the SEC are available to the public
from commercial document retrieval services and at the website maintained by the
SEC at http://www.sec.gov, or by request directed to Cathay General Bancorp, 777
N. Broadway, Los Angeles, CA 90012, Attention: Investor Relations (213)
625-4749.

    ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
    Subject to future developments, Cathay General Bancorp may file with the
United States Securities and Exchange Commission a registration statement to
register the Cathay General Bancorp shares which would be issued in the proposed
transaction. Investors and security holders are urged to read the registration
statement (when and if available) and any other relevant documents filed with
the Commission, as well as any amendments or supplements to those documents,
because they will contain important information. Investors and security holders
may obtain a free copy of the registration statement (when and if available) and
other relevant documents at the Commission's Internet web site at www.sec.gov.
The registration statement (when and if available) and such other documents may
also be obtained free of charge from Cathay General Bancorp by directing such
request to: Cathay General Bancorp, 777 N. Broadway, Los Angeles, CA 90012,
Attention: Investor Relations (213) 625-4749.

SOURCE  Cathay General Bancorp
    -0-                             10/25/2005
    /CONTACT:  Heng W. Chen of Cathay General Bancorp, +1-213-625-4752/
    /Web site:  http://www.cathaybank.com /
    (CATY)