Bank of Communications Vice President: Shanghai Cross-Border Trade Financing Up 72% in H1
At its 2026 interim results briefing on August 28, Bank of Communications Vice President Yang Tao said the bank's Shanghai cross-border trade financing balance rose 72% from end-2025 in the first half, while new loans in the Yangtze River Delta exceeded RMB 170 billion. Shanghai general RMB loans grew 9.85% from the start of the year, the fastest among local banks. The region contributed over 40% of group net revenue and nearly half of profit.
At the 2026 interim results briefing on August 28, Bank of Communications Vice President Yang Tao, responding to a question on technology finance, said the bank is leveraging Shanghai's science and innovation center development by integrating its commercial banking, investment banking, and AIC subsidiary capabilities to provide tailored financial services across the full lifecycle of technology enterprises.
Yang noted that the bank focuses on key tracks in Shanghai, using loan-investment linkage and coordination to increase support for the three leading industries and six future industries. Risk assessment has shifted from reviewing financial statements, collateral, and track records to evaluating teams, market tracks, and future potential. He also stressed that technology financial services must meet the requirements of high bandwidth, low latency, high pressure resistance, and radiation resistance.
As the only state-owned large bank headquartered in Shanghai, Bank of Communications leverages its business synergy and cross-border services to support the city's role as a hub and its development of the five centers. In the first half, the bank's Shanghai cross-border trade financing balance grew 72% from the end of 2025, and it participated deeply in the construction of Shanghai's shipping and trade digital platform. As of the end of June, the bank's Shanghai general RMB loans increased 9.85% from the start of the year, ranking first in market growth, while new loans in the Yangtze River Delta region exceeded RMB 170 billion. In the first half, the Yangtze River Delta branches and Shanghai-based subsidiaries contributed over 40% of the group's net revenue and nearly half of its profit.