:;9,;/13. + .866/,5 37;/5531/7./ ^uv{nJ+ pv,1 p|zzr*pvny on{x+Z h}}|*,-{v,1 x{|px+[ 037,,5 :/9<3./: China’s mercial banks: Opportunity knocks? 1 Preface There has been mounting interest in China’s large and problematic banking sector as foreign institutions continue to jockey for position. Government regulators have been focused on solving the systemic problems that plague the industry while foreign investors have been opening their wallets to purchase stakes in joint-stock banks. Less is known however about the ‘third- tier’ mercial banks and the opportunities (and risks) they present foreign investors. Some would argue the risks are high — that the mercial banks have even greater problems than the four massive state-owned banks, with high non-performing loan ratios, poor capital adequacy ratios and limited market ration. Not to mention mercial banks have significant local government influence and management systems that are often years behind international standards. Yet a number of foreign investors have purchased stakes in mercial banks and an even larger number are standing in line for their chance. What is it that they see that the sceptics don’t? KPMG has researched the sector and interviewed a number of banking executives, some of whom had entered into deals to invest in mercial banks. Our objective is to provide fact-driven analysis and informed views on the opportunities and risks within the market. The key findings of the report are: • mercial banks can indeed provide an entry into the China banking market for a relatively low cost — but investors need to be realistic. • mercial banks suffer from the same problems plaguing the banking sector in China — such as high non-performing loan ratios and low capital adequacy ratios. • The quality varies among mercial banks and there are now few decent mercial banks available. • mercial banks are not only looking for capital: they are also looking for pr