China's biggest banks under pressure as trade war heats up

With interest margins shrinking, lenders' ability to cope with bad loans in focus

20250411N china ICBC bank REU

Industrial and Commercial Bank of China, the country's largest bank, reported virtually flat earnings for 2024. © Reuters

KENSAKU IHARA and KENTARO SHIOZAKI

HONG KONG/BEIJING -- Earnings at China's four leading state-owned banks are feeling the strain, weakening their ability to deal with bad loans even as Beijing needs them to lend more to support the economy.

The four banks reported record-low interest rate margins for 2024. With Beijing expected to rely on more easy money to cushion the impact of a trade war with the U.S., this response could put further pressure on lenders' profitability.

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