Chinese banks' assets, liabilities rise

BEIJING - Total assets and liabilities of Chinese banking institutions increased in April, according to data released Monday by the country's top banking regulator.

As of the end of April, onshore assets of China's banking financial institutions, including commercial banks, policy banks and rural credit cooperatives, climbed by 11.9 percent from one year earlier to 176.16 trillion yuan ($28.79 trillion), according to the China Banking Regulatory Commission (CBRC).

Total liabilities of these institutions reached 163.06 trillion yuan at the end of last month, an 11.3-percent increase over the same period last year.

The growth rates of total assets and liabilities, important indicators of the health of the banking industry, both remained unchanged compared with levels reposted at the end of March.

The CBRC data showed commercial banks' total assets gained 13.2 percent during the period, while their liabilities grew by 12.6 percent from one year earlier. The growth rates both accelerated from figures posted at the end of March.