Di Yi Cai Jing·2026-01-12 12:56Group 1 - The core viewpoint of the articles is the ongoing restructuring of rural banks into branch banks by state-owned banks, with the recent acquisition by Bank of Communications marking the tenth instance of this initiative since last year [1][2][3] - Bank of Communications has received approval to acquire Anji Jiaoyin Rural Bank and establish multiple branches, indicating a strategic shift towards consolidating rural banking operations [2][3] - The trend of restructuring is part of a broader effort to enhance the quality of small financial institutions, with over 450 small banks expected to exit the market by 2025, predominantly rural banks [1][4] Group 2 - In 2025, 454 small banks were approved for mergers, dissolutions, or business cancellations, with rural banks accounting for over 60% of this figure [5] - The regions with the highest number of rural bank exits include Inner Mongolia, Shandong, and Hubei, highlighting significant regional disparities in the banking landscape [5] - Experts emphasize that while reducing the number of small financial institutions is necessary, improving their quality is the ultimate goal, necessitating effective measures to prevent the emergence of high-risk institutions [5]