Zhejiang Merchants Bank's Semi-Annual Report: High-Quality Development Behind Im

On August 29th, Zheshang Bank released its semi-annual report for 2024, showcasing impressive operational data: the total assets of the bank reached 3.25 trillion yuan, a 3.27% increase from the end of the previous year; it achieved a total operating income of 35.279 billion yuan, a year-on-year increase of 6.18%; and the net profit attributable to shareholders of the bank was 7.999 billion yuan, a year-on-year increase of 3.31%.

Both revenue and net profit continued to grow, business scale increased steadily, and operational performance moved forward steadily.

These achievements are a microcosm of Zheshang Bank's vision to become a "first-class commercial bank," focusing on the primary nature of financial functions and the comprehensive and coordinated development of five major business segments.

Especially in the past three years, the bank has adhered to a twelve-word business policy of "strengthening foundations, adjusting structure, controlling risks, and creating benefits," practicing good financial practices, insisting on smart management, and deeply promoting the key points of the "four major strategies," thereby solidifying the foundation for high-quality development.

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Lu Jianqiang, the Party Secretary and Chairman of Zheshang Bank, stated at the performance briefing, "The achievements of Zheshang Bank in the past three years are worth summarizing and persisting in three aspects.

First, to hold high the banner of good financial practices; second, to establish four major strategic focuses; third, to go all out to resolve risks.

The strategic direction set over the past three years, the clear strategic goals, and the series of tactics adopted have been effective, made under the collective decision-making of the Party Committee, and tested by the market.

We will also continue to adhere to the good practices and experiences we already have."

Adhering to the leadership of the Party and writing a "first-class commercial bank" answer sheet, combined with the semi-annual report data and the bank's key development achievements in recent years, deeply analyzes the path of high-quality development of Zheshang Bank.

"First-class commercial bank" is the goal vision set by Zheshang Bank at its inception, permeating all stages and fields of development.

As a provincial financial institution, serving the national strategy and focusing on the central work of the Party Committee and government is its inherent mission and responsibility.

In recent years, Zheshang Bank has taken comprehensively strengthening the Party's leadership as the fundamental premise of high-quality development, actively building a political ecology with "uprightness, simplicity, specialization, coordination, and integrity" at its core, forming a good situation of "the Party Committee directing the overall situation, the management team focusing on business, and the entire bank working together to solve difficulties," and continuously moving towards the goal vision of a "first-class commercial bank."

Under the strong leadership of the Party Committee, Zheshang Bank has made bold progress and achieved remarkable business results.

As of the end of June, the asset scale of Zheshang Bank has stepped onto the 3 trillion yuan level, the non-performing loan rate has continued to decline for three consecutive years, actively introducing strategic investors such as China Taiping, Shandong Trust Group, and Xintai Life Insurance, further optimizing the capital structure and strength, and making unremitting exploration and practice in accelerating the construction of first-class influence, competitiveness, and cohesion, achieving positive results.

Lu Jianqiang said, "Adhering to the political and people-oriented nature of finance, Zheshang Bank has always remembered its duty to provide high-quality and efficient financial services, insisting on prudent and stable operations, with asset quality improving comprehensively, and distinctive advantages are being forged more quickly."

Practicing "good financial practices," promoting the industry and society to be good with the goodness of Zheshang Bank, it has established the first small business specialized institution in the country, issued the first SME credit asset-backed securities in the country, and launched the first "talent bank" business in the industry...

Since its establishment, serving the people with finance has been a consensus for Zheshang Bank's business.

How to practice serving the people and being good with finance in more fields?

Now, the bank has re-examined the positioning and function of finance from the perspective of social value, deepening the concept of "good financial practices," and comprehensively sublimating the concept of "being good with finance."

Through a series of innovative practices, "good financial practices" have formed a practical system with six major pillars: "financial advisory system," "county-level comprehensive financial ecosystem construction," "Zhejiang Bank Good Standard," "good financial trust," "accountability towards goodness," and "employees towards goodness," with significant results.

As of the end of June, the financial advisory system practice continues to deepen, with member units reaching 126, financial advisors reaching more than 4,200 people, and cumulatively serving more than 87,000 enterprises.

The "3386" model of county-level comprehensive financial ecosystem construction has moved from pilot to full promotion.

Zhejiang Bank Good Standard first-level customers are about 100,000, involving an exposure of about 201,400 yuan.

The good financial trust project has improved in quality and expanded in scope, with a customer base of 69 and a cumulative trust scale of 19.099 million yuan as of the end of July.

It is understood that in the future, Zheshang Bank will further strengthen the summarization and refinement of innovative achievements in theory, practice, and system of "good financial practices" and promote them, striving to lead the industry and society towards goodness with the "goodness" of Zheshang Bank, and comprehensively help the high-quality development of Chinese characteristic finance.

Focusing on the main responsibilities and businesses, and doing well in the "five major articles" to serve the development of the real economy.

At present, China is at a critical period of high-quality development.

The domestic economy is long-term favorable, but structural problems and cyclical contradictions are intertwined and superimposed, posing new challenges to bank operations.

The central financial work conference emphasized the need to do well in the "five major articles," to promote the construction of a strong country with high-quality financial development, and to point out the direction for the entire financial industry.

Doing well in the "five major articles" is both an internal requirement for promoting high-quality economic development and a work need for banks to achieve sustainable development.

At the recent symposium on practicing the "five major articles" and high-quality development, it was learned that Zheshang Bank has a certain influence in the field of technology finance and can provide "full cycle, full chain, and comprehensive" technology finance integrated services to meet the diversified financial needs of technology enterprises at different stages of growth.

The semi-annual report shows that the bank has served more than 15,000 sci-tech talent enterprises, providing a financing balance of more than 260 billion yuan; it has served more than 3,400 high-level talents and more than 2,500 talent enterprises.

In addition, in the fields of inclusive finance, green finance, digital finance, and pension finance, the bank has also formed a series of characteristic business advantages, with brands such as supply chain finance, park finance, and scene finance continuously ringing out.

As of the end of June, the balance of inclusive small and micro enterprise loans of the bank has exceeded 320 billion yuan, benefiting more than 650,000 small and micro enterprises; the green loan balance growth rate is 11.47%, higher than the growth rate of all loans; through digital means, it has formed differentiated solutions in nearly 30 industries, becoming the only bank institution to carry out scene-based electricity fee financing cooperation with the three major domestic power grids... Now, Zheshang Bank is continuously strengthening its comprehensive service capabilities and industry competitiveness, and continues to contribute financial strength to the high-quality development of the new era.

Promoting "deep cultivation of Zhejiang," creating a new chapter of Zhejiang Bank as a pioneer.

"Deep cultivation of Zhejiang" is the primary strategy of Zheshang Bank.

As the only national joint-stock commercial bank with its headquarters in Zhejiang, the bank's business strategy is in line with the resources and development of Zhejiang, and it has unique advantages and responsibilities in helping the three "No.

1 projects" and "ten major projects," and promoting the construction of a common prosperity demonstration zone.

The semi-annual report shows that the total financing service volume of Zheshang Bank in the province has broken through the trillion yuan mark.

Serving Zhejiang and Zhejiang merchants, Zheshang Bank has always been steadfast.

In terms of resource allocation, it has increased the input of credit resources in Zhejiang province, focusing on improving its contribution to the economic and social development of the province.

It is understood that in the first half of 2024, the bank's cumulative underwriting of Zhejiang bonds was 17.06 billion yuan, accounting for 9.56% of the issuance, ranking first among all banks.

At the same time, it closely revolves around the construction needs of major projects such as "thousands of items and trillions of yuan" in Zhejiang province, launching special service plans, and increasing support.

As of the end of June, 18 major projects were newly launched, and a total of 65 major provincial projects were served, with a financing balance of 11.1 billion yuan, achieving the "deep cultivation of Zhejiang" three-year action plan target ahead of schedule.

In addition, the bank has paid a total of 37 billion yuan in taxes over the past three years, paying an additional 10.8 billion yuan in taxes, achieving full coverage of strategic signings with municipal governments in the province.

The strategy of "deep cultivation of Zhejiang" has long-term effects.

Zheshang Bank has won the first prize of excellent unit supporting the economic and social development of Zhejiang for 8 consecutive years, and has been rated as "the most satisfactory bank for private enterprises in Zhejiang" for 5 consecutive years, comprehensively creating a new chapter of Zhejiang Bank as a pioneer.

In 2024, it is the 20th anniversary of the establishment of Zheshang Bank.

Based on a new starting point, Lu Jianqiang said that the next step, Zheshang Bank will continue to maintain good strategic determination, firmly practice good financial practices, lead with the vision of "first-class commercial bank," take digital transformation as the main line, and jointly promote comprehensive and coordinated reforms centered on customers, continuously deepening smart management; fully start five major cultural construction projects, strive to be the vanguard in building Chinese characteristic financial culture, promote the return of financial origins, function correction, and mission enhancement, and enhance the social value of finance.