中小银行掀起兼并重组潮

Core Viewpoint - The trend of "mergers and restructuring, reduction and quality improvement" has become the main theme of reform for small and medium-sized banks in China, with a significant increase in the number of village banks exiting the market this year [1][4]. Group 1: Mergers and Restructuring - As of July 14, 2023, 90 village banks have appeared on the "exit list," surpassing the total number of village banks that exited last year [1][4]. - The restructuring of small and medium-sized banks is expected to accelerate, leading to a gradual reduction in the number of village banks [2][8]. - Recent cases of mergers include Guizhou Bank's absorption of Tongren Fengyuan Village Bank and Xinjiang Bank's planned merger with Xinjiang Huihe Bank [3][8]. Group 2: Merging Models - The "village reform branch" and "village reform division" models have become mainstream for the integration of small and medium-sized banks, where village banks are absorbed and transformed into branches of larger banks [5][6]. - Over 50 village banks have been merged or restructured in the first half of the year through these models, with participation from regional small banks, joint-stock banks, and even state-owned banks [6][7]. Group 3: Policy and Risk Management - The acceleration of village bank integration is driven by policy initiatives aimed at improving governance and risk management within financial institutions [8]. - The People's Bank of China has highlighted the rising non-performing loan rates among rural commercial banks, which stood at 2.86% in the first quarter, significantly higher than other bank types [8]. Group 4: Quality Improvement - The reduction in the number of small and medium-sized banks is expected to enhance service quality, shifting financial resources from extensive expansion to focused development [9]. - Experts emphasize that the reduction in institutions should not be equated with quality improvement, and village banks must enhance governance, risk control, and digital capabilities for self-reform [9].