China CITIC Bank

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A Chinese national joint-stock commercial bank serving corporate, retail and financial-market customers.

Last updated November 3, 2026

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Overview

China CITIC Bank is a national joint-stock commercial bank operating under CITIC Group. It was formally established as a separate legal entity in April 1987 after the CITIC organization developed a banking division to support foreign-exchange transactions, external financing and other international financial activities. The bank's origins therefore lie in the international-finance needs of CITIC's broader business platform rather than in a conventional regional deposit-taking institution. The bank provides a broad range of banking services. Its principal activities include corporate banking, personal banking, financial-market operations, credit cards, wealth management, deposits, lending, payments, international settlement and foreign-exchange services. This gives China CITIC Bank a diversified commercial-bank profile, with services aimed at large and medium-sized enterprises, institutional clients, government-related entities and individual customers. Its corporate and financial-market capabilities reflect the institution's original emphasis on cross-border finance, while its retail activities extend the brand into everyday deposits, cards, consumer finance and personal wealth services. China CITIC Bank expanded substantially during the first decade of the 21st century. In July 2000 it became the first bank in China to receive certification from the China Financial Certificate Authority for online banking. The bank also gained recognition in international banking rankings, entering the top 300 of The Banker's Top 1000 World Banks ranking in 2002. In November 2006, Spain's BBVA acquired a major shareholding, creating a cooperative relationship between the two banking groups and providing an important international dimension before China CITIC Bank's public-market debut. The bank was listed on both the Hong Kong Stock Exchange and the Shanghai Stock Exchange on 27 April 2007. The dual listing established a public-capital base in both mainland China and Hong Kong and made the institution one of the more visible listed banking brands associated with China's national joint-stock banking sector. It has continued to operate through a large mainland distribution network, supplemented by overseas operations and branches or offices in locations including Hong Kong, Macau, New York, Los Angeles, Singapore and London. China CITIC Bank's positioning is that of a comprehensive and internationally oriented commercial bank. Its connection with CITIC Group supports a group-wide corporate and institutional franchise, while its nationwide branch network enables it to compete for retail customers and local commercial activity. The bank is active across economically developed areas of mainland China and maintains international capabilities for cross-border settlement, foreign exchange and multinational-client services. It remains an active listed bank; however, the supplied reference material does not provide current financial figures, current executive information or a complete account of its present operating scale.

History

China CITIC Bank developed from CITIC's effort to create a banking capability suited to the group's expanding international and foreign-exchange requirements. In 1984, Rong Yiren, then chairman of CITIC Group, requested that the Chinese government authorize a banking division within the group. Approval followed, and in April 1985 a banking division was formed on the basis of CITIC's existing finance department. The division handled external financing, foreign-exchange transactions, loans, international settlement, finance leasing and deposits. These activities gave the future bank an international-commercial orientation from the beginning. In April 1987, after approval by the People's Bank of China and the State Council of China, the institution became a separate legal entity. It subsequently developed as a national joint-stock commercial bank, combining corporate and institutional finance with retail banking and financial-market activities. Its business scope came to include deposits, lending, payment and settlement services, foreign exchange, credit cards, wealth management and online banking. The bank's connection with CITIC Group also gave it a role in serving companies and institutions connected with the wider group and in supporting cross-border commercial activity. The bank's technology and international profile became more visible during the early 2000s. In July 2000 it became the first bank in China certified by the China Financial Certificate Authority for online banking. In July 2002, it ranked 291st in The Banker's Top 1000 World Banks list, placing it inside the top 300 for the first time. These developments reflected both the modernization of its delivery channels and its growing recognition beyond the domestic banking market. A significant ownership and cooperation development occurred in November 2006, when BBVA, Spain's second-largest bank, became a major shareholder. The investment created a cooperative relationship between BBVA and China CITIC Bank and represented an important international link before the bank entered public markets. On 27 April 2007, China CITIC Bank was listed in Hong Kong and Shanghai. The dual listing provided access to both international and mainland capital markets and established the bank as a prominent listed institution in China's joint-stock banking sector. The bank has operated a substantial mainland network, described in the reference material as including 163 branches and 1,252 sub-branches located mainly in economically developed areas. It has also operated internationally in Hong Kong, Macau, New York, Los Angeles, Singapore and London. These locations support the bank's stated role as an internationally oriented institution, particularly in cross-border finance, foreign-exchange transactions and international settlement. In May 2017, the bank's A shares were removed from the SSE 50 Index but remained constituents of the SSE 180 Index. The supplied sources do not provide enough current information to describe later strategic changes, present leadership, current financial performance or the exact contemporary composition of its overseas network. China CITIC Bank nevertheless remains an active listed commercial bank under CITIC Group, with corporate, retail and financial-market operations.

2017
SSE 50 Index change
[1]China CITIC Bank - Wikipediaen.wikipedia.org
The bank's A shares left the SSE 50 Index while remaining in the SSE 180 Index.
2007
Hong Kong and Shanghai listings
[1]China CITIC Bank - Wikipediaen.wikipedia.org
The bank listed on the Hong Kong and Shanghai stock exchanges on 27 April 2007.
2006
BBVA investment and cooperation
[1]China CITIC Bank - Wikipediaen.wikipedia.org
BBVA became a major shareholder, creating a cooperative relationship between the Spanish banking group and China CITIC Bank.
2002
Top-300 global bank ranking
[1]China CITIC Bank - Wikipediaen.wikipedia.org
The bank ranked 291st in The Banker's Top 1000 World Banks list.
2000
Online banking certification
[1]China CITIC Bank - Wikipediaen.wikipedia.org
China CITIC Bank became the first bank in China certified by the China Financial Certificate Authority for online banking.
1987
China CITIC Bank established
[1]China CITIC Bank - Wikipediaen.wikipedia.org
The banking operation became a separate legal entity after approval by the People's Bank of China and the State Council.
1985
CITIC banking division begins operations
[1]China CITIC Bank - Wikipediaen.wikipedia.org
A banking division was established within CITIC, building on the group's finance department and handling external financing, foreign exchange, loans, international settlement, finance leases and deposits.
1984
Proposal for a CITIC banking division
[1]China CITIC Bank - Wikipediaen.wikipedia.org
CITIC chairman Rong Yiren requested the creation of a banking division to meet the group's foreign-exchange and international-finance needs.

Products and positioning

A comprehensive, nationwide and internationally oriented commercial bank serving corporate, institutional and retail customers.

Business banking
Corporate banking
Corporate banking is a core part of China CITIC Bank's proposition. It includes business lending, deposits, external financing, payment and settlement services, foreign-exchange transactions and international settlement. The offering reflects the bank's origins within CITIC Group and its focus on serving companies, institutions and cross-border commercial activity.
Consumer banking
Retail banking
Retail banking serves individual customers through personal deposits, lending, payment services, credit cards and wealth-management products. It extends the bank's national commercial-bank role beyond corporate and institutional clients and is supported by mainland branches and digital channels.
Financial markets
Financial-market services
Financial-market activities form part of the bank's comprehensive banking model. The supplied sources identify financial markets as a principal business area, alongside corporate and retail banking, but do not provide a detailed product-level breakdown of trading, investment or treasury services.
Retail banking
Credit cards
Credit cards are among the bank's retail offerings for individual customers. The available reference material identifies credit cards as a typical product category but does not specify particular card families, partnerships, launch dates or current terms.
Retail banking
Wealth management
Wealth management is part of the bank's personal-finance offering. It is positioned alongside deposits, personal banking and credit cards, although the supplied sources do not provide enough detail about the specific products or customer segments involved.
Digital banking · 2000
Online banking
China CITIC Bank's online-banking capability gained an early public milestone in 2000, when the institution became the first bank in China certified by the China Financial Certificate Authority for online banking. The available sources do not describe the current digital platform or its full feature set.

Controversies

2023
Former president Sun Deshun sentenced to death with reprieve and life imprisonment in first-instance bribery case
On November 10, 2023, the Jinan Intermediate People's Court found in the first instance that Sun Deshun, former president of China CITIC Bank, had accepted bribes of more than 979.5 million yuan, and sentenced him to death with a two-year reprieve; after commutation to life imprisonment, he is to be imprisoned for life without commutation or parole. The acts found by the court spanned his tenures at ICBC, Bank of Communications, and China CITIC Bank.
Source
2021
China fines Citic Bank and a Baidu unit over joint-venture reporting
China's antitrust regulator fined China Citic Bank and Fujian Baidu Bo Rui Netcom 500,000 yuan each for failing to report their digital-bank joint venture before its formation in 2015. The penalty concerns the failure to file the required pre-formation notification for the joint venture, not the venture's subsequent operations. The event was reported on November 23, 2021.
Source
2020
Hongkou Sub-branch provided Chi Zi's account information to a third party without strict authorization
In May 2020, actor Wang Yuechi complained that the Shanghai Hongkou Sub-branch of China CITIC Bank provided his personal account information to Xiaoguo Culture, with which he had a dispute. The bank verified that an employee had not handled the matter in accordance with regulations and had provided payment records, apologized to the person concerned, and removed the sub-branch president from office; regulators intervened to investigate. This entry is limited to the information handling of the specific sub-branch.
Source
2020
CITIC Bank fined for regulatory violations
In a regulatory action reported in February 2020, the Beijing Banking and Insurance Regulatory Bureau fined China CITIC Bank 20.2 million yuan. The penalty concerned 19 alleged regulatory violations, which according to the summary included improper real-estate lending and misuse of loan funds. The event was reported by the source on February 24, 2020, with the event date given as February 21, 2020. The available information identifies the regulator, the bank, the fine amount, and the general nature of the alleged violations; no further details on the individual violations or subsequent outcomes are provided.
Source
2020
CITIC Bank acknowledges customer transaction records were provided without proper procedure
CITIC Bank stated that its employees did not follow required procedures when providing Wang Yuechi's account transaction records to Shanghai Xiaoguo Culture Media Co., Ltd. The report describes the records as personal financial information and says the bank acknowledged the procedural failure.
Source
2020
CITIC Bank apologizes over employee disclosure of customer payment records
CITIC Bank stated that an employee provided Wang Yuechi's payment records after Shanghai Xiaoguo Culture Media contacted the account-opening branch to request records of labor payments to an employee. The bank apologized for the incident, said it had disciplined the relevant employees, and removed the branch manager from their post.
Source
2020
Pond Culture accused of obtaining a performer's bank account records
In a contract dispute, comedian Chi Zi alleged that materials sent to him by Shanghai Xiaoguo Culture Media Co., Ltd. included his personal bank account transaction records, which he said violated personal-information protections. He stated that he had reported the matter to the authorities. The supplied report contains no response from the company and no finding by any authority.
Source
2019
Li Auto responds to CITIC Bank loan disruption
After CITIC Bank stopped disbursing loans for Li Auto ONE buyers and some customers encountered difficulty completing purchases, Li Auto apologized and announced an emergency solution for affected customers, including alternative financing channels and compensation for eligible applicants.
Source

2007
Dual-market public listingOther
Background
After becoming a national commercial bank with growing international recognition and a major foreign shareholder, the institution pursued access to public capital markets.
Action taken
China CITIC Bank listed shares on the Hong Kong and Shanghai stock exchanges on 27 April 2007.
Aftermath
The dual listing gave the bank a public-market presence in both Hong Kong and mainland China.
Source
2006
BBVA becomes a major shareholderM&A
Background
China CITIC Bank was developing its international profile ahead of its eventual public listing.
Action taken
BBVA acquired a major shareholding in China CITIC Bank and formed a cooperative relationship with the institution.
Aftermath
The investment added a major foreign banking partner before China CITIC Bank's dual listing, although the supplied source does not specify the transaction value or later ownership changes.
Source
2000
Adoption and certification of online bankingProduct launch
Background
China's banking sector was beginning to develop authenticated digital banking channels, while the bank was expanding beyond traditional branch-based services.
Action taken
China CITIC Bank obtained China Financial Certificate Authority certification for online banking.
Aftermath
The certification established an early digital-banking milestone for the institution and was described as a first among Chinese banks.
Source

Recent events

Unconfirmed
NetEase, CITIC Bank and World of Warcraft co-branded debit card launched[18]网易、中信银行与《魔兽世界》联名借记卡推出finance.eastmoney.com
NetEase and CITIC Bank launched a Mastercard debit card co-branded with World of Warcraft, featuring three card designs based on game characters.
2026-08-26
China CITIC Bank discloses 2026 half-year report[19]中信银行披露2026年半年度业绩报告sznews.com
China CITIC Bank disclosed its 2026 half-year results on the evening of August 26, reporting net profit attributable to shareholders of 37.602 billion yuan, up 3.08% year on year, and operating income of 109.408 billion yuan, up 3.05%. Total assets reached 10.383839 trillion yuan, up 2.50% from the end of last year, and the non-performing loan ratio was 1.15%, flat versus year-end.
Unconfirmed
China fines Citic Bank and a Baidu unit over joint-venture reporting[16]China fines Citic Bank and a Baidu unit over joint-venture reportingscmp.com
Reported: 2021-11-23
China’s antitrust regulator fined China Citic Bank and Fujian Baidu Bo Rui Netcom 500,000 yuan each for failing to report their digital-bank joint venture before its formation in 2015.
2021-10-18
CITIC Bank launches Cross-boundary Wealth Management Connect service[20]中信银行启动跨境理财通服务finance.cqnews.net
Reported: 2021-10-19
CITIC Bank and CITIC Bank International began offering Cross-boundary Wealth Management Connect services to residents of the mainland and Hong Kong areas of the Greater Bay Area.
2021-09-23
American Express-branded RMB debit card launched in China[21]美国运通品牌人民币借记卡在中国推出prnasia.com
Reported: 2021-09-23
American Express announced that its China-based joint-venture card-clearing institution, LianTong, had partnered with Industrial Bank to launch an American Express-branded debit card supporting RMB transactions, described as the first of its kind globally. China Merchants Bank, China CITIC Bank and China Guangfa Bank were identified as initial issuer partners to follow.
Unconfirmed
CITIC Bank upgrades its Happiness+ senior services[22]中信银行升级“幸福＋”老年服务体系finance.shm.com.cn
CITIC Bank upgraded its Happiness+ senior service system, introducing a retirement wealth-planning portfolio and making the Happiness+ Club available in its credit-card app.
Unconfirmed
CITIC Bank upgrades its '幸福+' senior services[23]中信银行全面升级“幸福+”老年服务体系finance.qingdaonews.com
CITIC Bank upgraded its “幸福+” services for older customers, including a retirement wealth-planning portfolio and the “幸福+” Club on its credit-card app.
2021-06
CITIC Bank and LONGi sign strategic cooperation agreement[24]中信银行与隆基股份签署战略合作协议finance.cqnews.net
Reported: 2021-06-23
CITIC Bank and LONGi signed a strategic cooperation agreement in Beijing. Under the agreement, CITIC Bank will provide LONGi with comprehensive financial services.
2021-04-08
Baixin Bank Launches “BaiChe Loan” and “BaiShang Loan”[25]百信银行推出“百车贷”和“百商贷”finance.sina.com.cn
Reported: 2021-04-08
Baixin Bank, China CITIC Bank, and Baidu jointly launched two products, “BaiShang Loan” and “BaiChe Loan.” “BaiShang Loan” targets car dealerships and branded chain auto repair shops, while “BaiChe Loan” targets individual buyers of passenger and commercial vehicles.
2020-12-04
CTBC Bank launches ESG investment section[26]中信银行推出ESG投资专区storm.mg
Reported: 2020-12-04
CTBC Bank launched an ESG investment section website featuring ESG concepts, product information, and selected ESG-themed funds.

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