Zhongyuan Bank

Corporate brand

A Chinese commercial bank headquartered in Zhengzhou, Henan, formed in 2014 through the consolidation of 13 smaller local banks.

Last updated October 25, 2026

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Overview

Zhongyuan Bank is a commercial bank based in Zhengzhou, Henan Province, China. It was established on December 23, 2014, as part of a restructuring of Henan's local banking sector. The institution was created through the merger of 13 smaller banks, giving it a broader regional platform and a larger balance sheet than the individual institutions it replaced. Its formation reflected efforts to consolidate fragmented city-commercial banking operations and create a stronger financial institution serving Henan's provincial economy. The bank provides a range of financial services to individuals, companies, small businesses and institutional customers. Its activities include personal banking, corporate banking, microloans, wealth management and internet banking. These services place Zhongyuan Bank across several core commercial-bank segments: deposit-taking and lending, payment and settlement, financing for small and medium-sized enterprises, retail financial products, and digital distribution. Its regional role also includes supporting local government-linked economic activity and businesses operating in Henan's cities and industrial communities. Zhongyuan Bank's development has taken place against a changing regulatory and economic backdrop. Chinese authorities have encouraged smaller banks to consolidate in order to strengthen risk management and reduce vulnerabilities in the financial system. In 2021, Zhongyuan announced plans to merge with three other banks: Bank of Luoyang, Bank of Pingdingshan and Bank of Jiaozuo. The proposed consolidation was significant because it would further expand the bank's regional footprint and combine institutions with different asset and credit exposures. Bank of Luoyang had financed China Evergrande Group, the property developer whose financial distress became a major issue in China's real-estate sector during 2021 and afterward. The bank has consequently received attention not only for its regional expansion but also for its exposure to property-related credit risks. Reporting in 2022 described Zhongyuan as having a comparatively high non-performing-loan ratio in the real-estate sector among Chinese banks. Separate reporting discussed loans exceeding RMB600 million made to Furen Pharmaceuticals by real-estate-enterprise shareholders in Zhongyuan Bank and two other institutions, at a time when Furen was experiencing repayment difficulties. These reports placed the bank within broader debates about local-bank governance, concentrated lending and the transmission of property-sector stress into the banking system; they do not by themselves establish a final legal finding against the bank. The institution also maintains an explicitly China-focused organizational and ideological culture. Material cited from the bank describes staff study activities concerning Communist Party history and ideology in 2021, as well as participation in commemorations of the centenary of the Chinese Communist Party. In public economic commentary, Zhongyuan Bank's chief economist Wang Jun discussed the pressures facing China's economy in 2022, including weaker-than-target growth, pandemic-related policy uncertainty, cautious borrowing and the possibility of a liquidity-trap environment. In August 2022, Liu Kaisheng became vice-president and Wang Jiong became president, marking a senior-management change during a period of consolidation, property-market stress and heightened scrutiny of regional banks. The available reference material does not provide enough information to establish the bank's current executive roster, detailed ownership structure, official website address or present listing status. Zhongyuan Bank is therefore best characterized as an active, Henan-based Chinese commercial bank whose identity is closely associated with regional consolidation, universal commercial-banking services and exposure to the risks affecting China's local financial institutions.

History

Zhongyuan Bank was established in Zhengzhou on December 23, 2014. Its creation resulted from the merger of 13 smaller banks in Henan, an organizational restructuring intended to produce a stronger and more unified regional commercial bank. Rather than emerging as a narrowly specialized institution, Zhongyuan adopted a broad commercial-banking model serving both companies and individuals. Its reported activities include corporate banking, personal banking, microloans, wealth management and internet banking. The bank's formation belongs to a wider phase of change in China's city-commercial banking sector. Local banks traditionally served geographically concentrated customer bases and often maintained close relationships with municipal economies. Consolidation offered a way to combine capital, branch networks, technology and risk-management capabilities while creating institutions with greater scale. For Zhongyuan, the merger of 13 banks established a provincial platform with the potential to serve Henan's households, small enterprises, larger companies and public-sector-linked economic activity. During 2021, the bank's institutional culture included staff study activities focused on Communist Party history and ideology, along with observances connected to the centenary of the Chinese Communist Party. In the same year, Zhongyuan announced plans to merge with Bank of Luoyang, Bank of Pingdingshan and Bank of Jiaozuo. The proposed transaction reflected government pressure for smaller banks to consolidate in order to contain risks in the financial system. It also introduced additional credit considerations, because Bank of Luoyang was among the banks that had financed China Evergrande Group, a major property developer that entered serious financial difficulty during late 2021. The bank's later history has been shaped by China's property-sector downturn and the resulting scrutiny of local-bank asset quality. In September 2022, Nikkei Asia reported that Zhongyuan had significant exposure to unpaid real-estate loans and that, based on June 2022 data, it ranked fourth among Chinese banks by non-performing-loan ratio in the real-estate sector. Separate reporting that month said that shareholders connected with real-estate enterprises in Zhongyuan Bank and two other institutions had extended loans totaling more than RMB600 million to Furen Pharmaceuticals, which was having difficulty repaying them. These accounts raised questions about concentrated lending, shareholder relationships and credit governance, although the available material does not provide a final adjudication or complete account of the institutions' legal responsibility. Senior management changes were reported in August 2022, when Liu Kaisheng took the vice-president role and Wang Jiong became president. The leadership changes occurred as Zhongyuan and other Chinese regional banks faced simultaneous pressure to consolidate, manage property-related exposures and preserve confidence in local financial institutions. The bank has also appeared in economic-policy commentary through its chief economist, Wang Jun. In remarks reported by the BBC in April 2022, Wang said China's growth was under pressure and was not meeting the government's 5.5% target, while second-quarter performance depended partly on the flexibility of pandemic controls and the availability of policy support. Comments quoted by The Guardian in August 2022 described a liquidity-trap dynamic in which companies and consumers remained reluctant to borrow even when credit conditions were eased, and some borrowers repaid debt ahead of schedule. These statements situated Zhongyuan Bank's public economic voice within the broader debate over China's post-pandemic recovery. The available references establish Zhongyuan Bank as an active Henan-based commercial bank with a broad banking portfolio and a history rooted in consolidation. They do not adequately document its current website, ownership structure, detailed branch network, present executives, listing status or the final implementation status of every proposed merger. Those points require further verification before being added to a definitive encyclopedia record.

2022
Senior management changes
[1]Zhongyuan Bank - Wikipediaen.wikipedia.org
Liu Kaisheng became vice-president and Wang Jiong became president in August 2022.
2022
Real-estate credit exposure comes under scrutiny
[1]Zhongyuan Bank - Wikipediaen.wikipedia.org
Reports in September discussed unpaid property-sector loans, a high real-estate non-performing-loan ratio and lending involving Furen Pharmaceuticals.
2021
Further regional consolidation is announced
[1]Zhongyuan Bank - Wikipediaen.wikipedia.org
The bank announced plans to merge with Bank of Luoyang, Bank of Pingdingshan and Bank of Jiaozuo amid official efforts to consolidate smaller Chinese banks.
2021
Party-history and ideology study activities
[1]Zhongyuan Bank - Wikipediaen.wikipedia.org
According to material attributed to the bank, staff participated in study events on Communist Party history and ideology and activities marking the Party's centenary.
2014
Zhongyuan Bank is established
[1]Zhongyuan Bank - Wikipediaen.wikipedia.org
Zhongyuan Bank was founded in Zhengzhou on December 23, 2014, through the merger of 13 smaller banks in Henan.

Products and positioning

A regional commercial bank serving Henan's households, businesses and local economy, with a broad service model spanning corporate finance, retail banking, small-business lending, wealth management and digital banking.

Business banking
Corporate banking
Zhongyuan Bank provides banking services for companies and institutional customers. The available references identify corporate banking as a core business area, but do not specify the full product catalogue, sector specializations, loan limits or transaction-banking features.
Retail banking
Personal banking
Personal banking serves individual customers through the bank's retail platform. The reference material confirms the business line but does not provide a detailed list of deposit accounts, consumer-credit products, payment services or customer-segment propositions.
Small-business finance
Microloans
Microloan services support smaller borrowers and form part of Zhongyuan Bank's stated financial-services scope. Specific eligibility rules, distribution channels, pricing and portfolio size are not documented in the supplied references.
Investment and savings services
Wealth management
The bank offers wealth-management services as part of its retail and broader financial-services portfolio. The available material does not identify individual products, investment mandates, risk categories or assets under management.
Digital banking
Internet banking
Internet banking is one of Zhongyuan Bank's documented service channels, extending banking access through digital platforms. The supplied sources do not describe the platform's technical features, mobile applications, launch date or current digital strategy.

Controversies

2025
Nanyang Branch Fined 600,000 Yuan for Employees Improperly Borrowing Client Funds, Among Other Violations
In May 2025, the Nanyang Branch of Zhongyuan Bank was fined 600,000 yuan for employees improperly borrowing client funds, lending to clients, and inadequate underwriting that led to fraudulent guarantees in clients' names.
Source
2024
Former Chairman Xu Nuojin Investigated; Two Successive Chairmen Caught Up in Anti-Corruption Probes
In February 2024, Henan authorities announced that Xu Nuojin, a former chairman of Zhongyuan Bank, was under investigation; Dou Rongxing had previously been investigated and expelled from both the Party and public office. This entry records the risks involving two successive executives and the public proceedings, and does not presume any specific bribery amount or final sentence solely on the basis of the investigations.
Source 1 Source 2
2023
Anyang Tieyi Road Sub-branch Fined 2.15 Million Yuan for Loan 'Three Checks' and Senior Executive Qualification Violations
In 2023, the Tieyi Road Sub-branch of Zhongyuan Bank in Anyang was fined 2.15 million yuan for inadequate loan 'three checks' and for having someone perform senior management duties without approval, and relevant personnel were warned. The branch was formerly the Anyang Branch of the merged Bank of Luoyang.
Source
2023
Luohe Branch Fined RMB 430,000 for Failure to Identify Customers as Required
In March 2023, the People's Bank of China Luohe Central Sub-branch fined the Luohe Branch of Zhongyuan Bank RMB 430,000 for failing to conduct ongoing customer due diligence and failing to re-identify customers.
Source
2022
Real-estate loan quality concerns
Nikkei Asia reported that Zhongyuan Bank was exposed to large unpaid real-estate loans and had the fourth-highest non-performing-loan ratio in the real-estate sector among Chinese banks based on June 2022 data.
Source
2022
Reported lending to Furen Pharmaceuticals
Reporting stated that real-estate-enterprise shareholders in Zhongyuan Bank and two other institutions had loaned more than RMB600 million to Furen Pharmaceuticals while the borrower faced repayment difficulties. The supplied material does not establish a final legal finding.
Source
2020
Anyang Branch Wealth Manager Stole Client Funds; Institution and Management Punished
In 2020, the Anyang Branch of Zhongyuan Bank was fined 400,000 yuan after a wealth manager stole client funds, among other violations; the manager was banned from the industry for life, and branch management was also punished for supervisory responsibility.
Source 1 Source 2
2020
Zhongyuan Bank's Anyang branch fined over customer-fund theft and management violations
In 2020, the Henan Anyang Banking and Insurance Regulatory Bureau fined Zhongyuan Bank's Anyang branch RMB 400,000 over two violations. According to the regulator, a wealth manager at the branch stole customers' wealth-management funds, and the branch authorized a person without senior-management qualifications to exercise senior-management duties. The penalty addressed both the theft of customer funds and the authorization of an unqualified person to perform senior-management functions.
Source

2022
Public economic commentary during a difficult growth periodOther
Background
China's economy was under pressure from pandemic controls, weak borrowing demand and property-sector stress.
Action taken
Chief economist Wang Jun publicly discussed the shortfall against the government's 5.5% growth target, second-quarter risks and the possibility of a liquidity-trap environment.
Aftermath
The comments contributed to public discussion of China's growth outlook but were economic analysis rather than a disclosed bank product or operating decision.
Source
2021
Plan to merge with three additional banksM&A
Background
Chinese authorities were encouraging smaller banks to consolidate to reduce risks and strengthen the financial system. Zhongyuan Bank had itself been formed through an earlier merger of 13 Henan banks.
Action taken
Zhongyuan announced plans to merge with Bank of Luoyang, Bank of Pingdingshan and Bank of Jiaozuo.
Aftermath
The proposed combination drew attention to the additional regional scale it could create and to Bank of Luoyang's exposure to China Evergrande Group. The supplied references do not confirm the final completion status of the entire transaction.
Source

Recent events

2022
Zhongyuan Bank leadership changes reported[1]Zhongyuan Bank - Wikipediaen.wikipedia.org
Leadership change
Liu Kaisheng took the role of vice-president and Wang Jiong became president in August 2022.
2022
Chief economist discusses China's 2022 growth outlook[2]BBC reporting on China's 2022 economic outlookbbc.com
Other
Chief economist Wang Jun told the BBC that China's economic growth was falling short of the government's 5.5% target and that second-quarter growth faced significant pressure from pandemic measures and the need for policy support.
2022
Wang Jun describes a liquidity-trap risk in China[3]The Guardian reporting quoting Wang Juntheguardian.com
Other
In comments quoted by The Guardian, Wang Jun said companies and consumers were reluctant to assume additional debt despite easier credit, with some borrowers repaying debt early, a pattern he associated with recessionary risk.
2021
Zhongyuan Bank announces merger plans with three Henan banks[1]Zhongyuan Bank - Wikipediaen.wikipedia.org
M&A
Zhongyuan Bank announced plans to merge with Bank of Luoyang, Bank of Pingdingshan and Bank of Jiaozuo in the context of Chinese regulatory efforts to consolidate smaller banks and contain financial-system risks.

Sources11 sources

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