Lending by Chinese Banks Rises 12.6% in 2018

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The latest data from the China Banking and Insurance Regulatory Commission (CBIRC) points to a rapid expansion in lending by Chinese banks last year.

Loans on the balance sheets of Chinese banks rose by 12.6% YoY in 2018 to reach 140.6 trillion yuan, according to figures revealed by CBIRC senior official Liu Zhiqing at a recent meeting.

The onshore assets of the Chinese banking sector were 261.4 trillion yuan as of the end of 2018, for a YoY increase of 6.4%.

While the non-performing loan ratio of Chinese banks stood at a ten-year high of 1.89% as of the end of 2018, Liu pointed out that domestic lenders disposed of around 988 billion yuan in dud loans, for an increase of 259 billion yuan compared to the previous year.