Central bank of China; responsible for formulating and implementing monetary policy, issuing the renminbi and administering its circulation, regulating financial markets including the inter-bank lending market, the inter-bank bond market etc

One of the largest state-owned banks in China; based in Beijing

Beijing-based bank engaged in attracting public deposits, issuing short-, medium- and long-term loans, domestic settlement, bill discount, issuing financial bonds, international settlement, foreign exchange; ranked 13th by total assets in 2004

Oldest bank in China; included in the Fortune Global 500 for 13 consecutive years; has over 560 overseas offices in 25 countries and regions; is listed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange; offers personal and corporate banking services

One of the biggest Chinese banks; has 2,600 branches in 137 cities across China; also has branches in New York, Tokyo, Hong Kong and Singpore with representative offices in London and Frankfurt; based in Shanghai

Leading bank based in Beijing; site has details of personal, corporate and e-banking services offered

Bank that provides long-term financing for key projects in basic & infrastructure sectors; under the direct jurisdiction of the State Council; has 32 branches & four representative offices across the country; headquarters is in Beijing

Part of the China Everbright Group, that is active in the financial sector; based in Beijing; site is in Chinese

Bank set up in 1995 mainly by non-state-owned enterprises; shares listed on Shanghai Stock Exchange; by the end of 2004 it had 17 branches across China; ranked 10 among 14 banks from mainland China by The Banker

Second-largest listed bank in Hong Kong in terms of market cap; focuses on Hong Kong & mainland China; activities: personal wealth management, commercial banking, corporate & institutional banking, treasury services etc; member, HSBC Group