前5个月184家中小银行消失，“毛细血管”为何活成了“夹心饼干”

Core Viewpoint - The rapid exit of small and medium-sized banks is driven by the acceleration of financial reform and risk management efforts, with a significant increase in mergers and dissolutions observed in recent years [1][6][8] Group 1: Mergers and Dissolutions - In the first five months of this year, 184 small banks have been approved for mergers or dissolutions, which is seven times the number from the same period last year and close to the total for the previous year [1][3] - The number of small banks that merged or dissolved has increased from 43 in 2022 to 77 in 2023, and is projected to reach 204 in 2024 [1][3] - A notable event occurred on May 16, when 120 small banks in Inner Mongolia were collectively dissolved, with their assets and liabilities taken over by the newly established Inner Mongolia Rural Commercial Bank [3] Group 2: Impact on Village Banks - Village banks are the most affected by the mergers and dissolutions, with 99 out of 204 small banks dissolved last year being village banks, accounting for 49% of the total [4] - As of the end of 2024, there were 1,538 village banks, making up 35.8% of the total number of banking institutions in China [5] - The risk levels of village banks have risen sharply due to various factors, severely impacting their sustainability and financial service capabilities [5][6] Group 3: Challenges Faced by Small Banks - Small banks are facing operational difficulties due to a mismatch between external environmental changes and their internal capabilities, exacerbated by a downturn in the economic cycle and increased competition from larger banks leveraging digital advantages [1][6][7] - Regulatory pressures have intensified, with stricter requirements for capital adequacy and compliance, exposing long-standing weaknesses in small banks' capital strength and risk management systems [6][7] - Many small banks rely heavily on traditional interest margin models, lacking differentiated competitive strategies, which has led to a significant decline in profitability stability [7][8] Group 4: Future Outlook - The future of small banks hinges on governance reform and the development of differentiated service capabilities tailored to regional economic characteristics, rather than merely relying on scale expansion or policy support [8]