China - The Banker

Rural support: in an effort to create social stability, China has allocated more financial support to farmers

As the global crisis weakened other major economies, China's huge lending spree sent its growth soaring, but it must hope that in having made credit so loosely available it has not inadvertently planted the seeds of a future home-grown crisis. Writer Brian Caplen

• Read more

China has defied expectations by successfully establishing a number of state-owned, internationally competitive firms, but the country must increase its outward foreign direct investment if it is to establish a firmer footing in the global marketplace.

• Read more

China's ambitions for an international financial centre in Shanghai are now clear. It has staggering market growth and a supportive policy environment, but there are still significant barriers to overcome. If China can realise its ambitions, will it be Shanghai that wins the prize? Writer Geraldine Lambe

• Read more

China's leading banks have come through the credit crisis and resulting global recession well, on the whole posting strong results for 2008. The Banker profiles five of these banks, looking at the ways in which they have transformed themselves by targeting a wider range of businesses and expanding their product offering. Writer Stephen Timewell

• Read more

In what came as a shock to many exuberant analysts, China's juggernaut economy slowed dramatically in the last months of 2008 with annual gross domestic product growth falling to 9.4% compared with 11.4% for 2007. The World Bank's recent forecast for 2009, which puts the Asian titan's economic output at a mere 7.2%, has been buoyed by a strong stimulus package of some $586bn.

• Read more

It is unsurprising that two of the US's biggest former investment banks take the top two spots in this year's list of new entrants. Both Goldman Sachs, which enters the Top 1000 in 13th place, and Morgan Stanley, which enters at 17th place, were forced to take commercial banking licences at the end of 2008. How long the two iconic Wall Street brands will remain in the rankings is another matter. Many are speculating that the banks will seek to shed their commercial bank status as soon as the economy and financial markets pick up.

• Read more

China’s biggest banks have enjoyed another good year, but The Banker’s figures show that the steepest growth is among its other institutions. Stephen Timewell reports.

• Read more

China Construction Bank is the third largest bank in China and the 14th largest in the world. Stephen Timewell talks to chairman Guo Shuqing about his overseas ambitions and strategy.

• Read more

Debate on China’s future was fierce at the inaugural summer event of the World Economic Forum held in the Chinese city of Dalian. Stephen Timewell reports.

• Read more

A fast momentum of economic growth is providing the backdrop to new laws granting private property rights and an influx of real estate investment, as the country moves closer to liberalisation. Chris Webb reports.

• Read more