- Business
- China Bohai Bank Co., Ltd. China Bohai Bank Co., Ltd. is a nationwide joint-stock commercial bank headquartered in Tianjin, China, and established on December 30, 2005, as the first such bank to introduce a foreign strategic investor at inception and the first headquartered in Tianjin since the 2003 amendment to China's Commercial Banks Law. The bank, which commenced operations in February 2006 and listed its H shares on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange (stock code: 9668) in July 2020, provides comprehensive retail and corporate banking services across China through a network of 370 outlets as of the end of 2023, including 36 tier-one branches, 33 tier-two branches, 283 sub-branches, and 18 community and micro sub-branches, with strategic coverage of key provincial capitals and economic hubs. Its core products and services encompass corporate banking offerings such as corporate loans and advances, trade financing, deposit-taking activities, agency services, wealth management services, consulting and advisory services, remittance and settlement services, and guarantee services; retail banking products including personal loans, deposit-taking activities, personal wealth management services, and remittance services; and financial markets business involving inter-bank money market transactions, repurchase transactions, interbank investments, bond investments and trading; it also engages in supplementary services like bank card business, letters of credit, financial guarantees, foreign exchange settlement, securities investment custody, insurance fund custody, and securities investment fund sales, primarily serving corporations, government agencies, financial institutions, SMEs, and retail customers within China while acting as a correspondent bank for nearly 300 global institutions. In a significant recent development, on October 10, 2025, the bank's board approved a proposed mandate for a very substantial disposal via public tender of distressed debt assets with a principal amount of approximately RMB49,937 million (net book value RMB48,310 million as of December 31, 2024), targeting buyers including branches of China Cinda, China Orient, China Great Wall, and China CITIC asset management companies, to optimize asset structure, reduce capital occupancy, enhance profitability, and bolster risk resilience, with an initial minimum consideration of no less than RMB48,883 million (about 30% discount to total debts including interest and penalties), subject to shareholder approval and execution in batches within a one-year mandate period; this follows ongoing digital transformation efforts, including new mobile banking services and fintech investments supporting SME loans, wealth management, and green financing, with total assets reaching RMB1,823,802 million as of June 30, 2025. The bank maintains a diversified shareholder base led by Tianjin TEDA Investment Holding (Group) Co., Ltd. at around 20%, alongside Standard Chartered PLC and COSCO SHIPPING Development Co., Ltd., and focuses on high-quality development aligned with national strategies, evidenced by awards such as the 2023 Gamma Award for Inclusive Financial Services and ranking 124th in The Banker's Top 1,000 World Banks 2023.