As is becoming a pattern, the big Chinese banks marked another year of above-average rises in Tier 1 capital. The big four state-owned banks – in the same top four places in the 2017 ranking – all increased their capital by between 12% and 20.5%.
China’s largest bank, ICBC, increased its capital by 15.24%, or $43bn, to $324bn. China Construction Bank in second place raised its capital by 20.54%, or $46bn, to keep pace, and there was a 12.68% uplift at third placed Bank of China and 15.63% at fourth placed Agricultural Bank of China.
But the big rises were not confined to the big four. Heading the highest movers table is Guangdong Huaxing Bank, which saw its capital more than double, propelling it up 245 places from 749th to 504th in the main ranking.
A further eight banks raised their capital by more than 50%. The largest of these, Bank of Jinzhou with a 51.26% increase, has risen from 203rd to 168th in the main ranking, adding $8.7bn of capital. In the 2017 ranking, the largest percentage rise was 73.27% and only two banks managed an increase above 50%.
Banks outside the top four but present in the top 25 Chinese lenders also recorded some spectacular capital gains. Postal Savings Bank of China raised its capital by 32.99% to $65.9bn, taking it from number 11 to seventh place in the country ranking. But when all banks are growing, sometimes big percentage rises do not translate into a large rise in place terms in the country ranking.
Bank of Jiangsu, for example, increased its capital by 43.29% and while that takes it from 117th to 91st in the main ranking, it has only moved it one place, from 18th to 17th, in the country ranking.
The highest return on capital was 32.7%, notched up by Bank of Taizhou, which is placed 468th in the global ranking. There are five Chinese new entrants in the Top 1000 World Banks ranking, of which the largest is Bank of Huludao at 790th.
Top 25: China ($M)
| Country Rank | World Rank | Bank | Tier 1 capital |
| 1 | 1 | ICBC | 324,126 |
| 2 | 2 | China Construction Bank | 272,215 |
| 3 | 3 | Bank of China | 224,438 |
| 4 | 4 | Agricultural Bank of China | 218,104 |
| 5 | 11 | Bank of Communications | 102,831 |
| 6 | 20 | China Merchants Bank | 70,627 |
| 7 | 23 | Postal Savings Bank of China | 65,985 |
| 8 | 25 | Shanghai Pudong Development Bank | 64,274 |
| 9 | 26 | Industrial Bank | 64,111 |
| 10 | 27 | China Citic Bank | 61,963 |
| 11 | 30 | China Minsheng Bank | 59,203 |
| 12 | 39 | China Everbright Bank | 46,550 |
| 13 | 57 | Ping An Bank | 31,381 |
| 14 | 63 | Bank of Beijing | 27,023 |
| 15 | 65 | Hua Xia Bank | 25,949 |
| 16 | 76 | Bank of Shanghai | 22,542 |
| 17 | 91 | Bank of Jiangsu | 17,236 |
| 18 | 92 | China Guangfa Bank | 17,219 |
| 19 | 111 | China Zheshang Bank | 13,741 |
| 20 | 143 | Bank of Nanjing | 10,292 |
| 21 | 150 | Chongqing Rural Commercial Bank | 9,797 |
| 22 | 162 | Huishang Bank | 9,027 |
| 23 | 166 | Bank of Ningbo | 8,727 |
| 24 | 168 | Bank of Jinzhou | 8,702 |
| 25 | 178 | Shanghai Rural Commercial Bank | 7,981 |
Highest Movers: China
| Country Rank | World Rank | Bank | Tier 1 capital % change | Tier 1 capital $m |
| 1 | 504 | Guangdong Huaxing Bank | 106.55 | 1,804 |
| 2 | 599 | Laishang Bank | 66.15 | 1,416 |
| 3 | 440 | Jinshang Bank | 62.65 | 2,235 |
| 4 | 245 | Bank of Zhengzhou | 61.61 | 4,956 |
| 5 | 512 | Bank of Rizhao | 57.68 | 1,778 |
| 6 | 286 | Bank of Qingdao | 56.54 | 3,934 |
| 7 | 361 | Qilu Bank | 56.45 | 2,815 |
| 8 | 341 | Jiangnan Rural Commercial Bank | 55.32 | 3,129 |
| 9 | 168 | Bank of Jinzhou | 51.26 | 8,702 |
| 10 | 635 | Leshan City Commercial Bank | 48.88 | 1,298 |
Top Five ROC: China
| Country Rank | World Rank | Bank | Return on capital % latest |
| 1 | 468 | Bank of Taizhou | 32.70 |
| 2 | 554 | Zhejiang Tailong Commercial Bank | 29.34 |
| 3 | 391 | Bank of Gansu | 27.03 |
| 4 | 995 | Taian Bank | 24.73 |
| 5 | 373 | Bank of Luoyang | 22.13 |
New Entrants: China ($M)
| World Rank | Bank | Tier 1 capital ($M) |
| 790 | Bank of Huludao | 866 |
| 843 | Bank of Chaoyang | 733 |
| 857 | Bank of Shizuishan | 709 |
| 908 | Ma'anshan Rural Commercial Bank | 622 |
| 995 | Taian Bank | 480 |
