Sou Hu Cai Jing·2025-12-08 13:40Core Viewpoint - The Financial Stability Board (FSB) has released the 2025 list of Global Systemically Important Banks (G-SIBs), which includes 29 banks globally, with China's five major state-owned banks maintaining their positions. Notably, Industrial and Commercial Bank of China (ICBC) has moved from Group 2 to Group 3 for the first time [1][5][10]. Group 1: G-SIBs List and Rankings - The 2025 G-SIBs list remains consistent with 2024, but there are changes in group classifications. The third group has increased from 2 to 4 banks, including ICBC and others [5][10]. - In the "Bucket 0" category, which does not incur additional capital requirements, China Merchants Bank has improved its ranking from 34th to 30th, closely approaching the G-SIBs threshold [5][6][10]. - Other Chinese banks, such as Industrial Bank and CITIC Bank, are also nearing the G-SIBs threshold, indicating a shift in the global financial stability focus [3][5][9]. Group 2: Factors Influencing Rankings - The rise in rankings for Chinese banks is attributed to improvements in interconnectedness and complexity metrics rather than size, which has traditionally been the focus [3][8]. - For instance, China Merchants Bank's total score increased significantly from 103 to 122, with interconnectedness and complexity contributing 31 and 60 points, respectively [7][8]. Group 3: Implications of G-SIBs Inclusion - Being classified as a G-SIB entails stricter capital regulatory requirements, which could compress the Return on Equity (ROE) for these banks [3][10]. - The additional capital requirements for G-SIBs range from 1% to 3.5% depending on the group, which could impact the capital strategies of banks approaching the threshold [10][11]. Group 4: Future Considerations for Chinese Banks - Chinese banks need to enhance their capital buffers and risk management frameworks to prepare for potential G-SIBs inclusion, as this could lead to increased systemic risk distribution [12][13]. - The banks are encouraged to diversify their capital tools and optimize asset structures to improve capital efficiency [12][13]. Group 5: Cross-Border Business Development - There is a need for Chinese banks to accelerate their cross-border business development to adapt to low-interest-rate environments and reduce reliance on single markets [15][14]. - Despite some progress, the density of overseas branches and subsidiaries remains low, indicating a need for strategic growth in international operations [15][14].