

Core Viewpoint - Major banks in China have decided to abolish their supervisory boards, transferring their functions to the audit committee of the board of directors, which is seen as a move to optimize corporate governance and reduce costs [7][8][9] Group 1: Decision and Implementation - The five major banks have announced that they will no longer establish supervisory boards, a decision approved at the 2024 annual general meeting held on June 27, 2025, and recently sanctioned by the National Financial Regulatory Administration [7] - Postal Savings Bank has also proposed to abolish its supervisory board and related committees, with the audit committee of the board taking over these responsibilities, pending shareholder approval [8] Group 2: Rationale and Expert Opinions - Industry experts suggest that the functions of supervisory boards overlap with those of the audit committee, particularly the independent directors, making the abolition a strategic choice to enhance governance flexibility and efficiency [8] - The decision to eliminate supervisory boards is viewed as a way to maintain effective corporate governance while lowering governance costs, according to a leading expert from the Shanghai Financial and Development Laboratory [8] Group 3: Regulatory Framework - The revised Company Law allows companies to establish audit committees within the board of directors to perform the functions of supervisory boards, a change that has been recognized by the National Financial Regulatory Administration [9] - Besides the six major banks, several other national joint-stock banks and local commercial banks have also announced the abolition of their supervisory boards [9]