China's dominance at the top of the Top 1000 World Banks ranking had seen little change in 2021, with the same four banks - Industrial and Commercial Bank of China (ICBC), China Construction Bank (CCB), Agricultural Bank of China and Bank of China - holding onto their places for another year thanks to strong growth in Tier 1 capital. But a deep dive into the performance of the country's banks shows there is growing strength among the smaller, regional institutions. China has weathered the pandemic well, as strict lockdown measures implemented in March 2020 prevented the virus from spreading and allowed the economy to return to growth, at a time when many other countries continued to struggle. The country's banks were also assisted by a financial support regime from the People's Bank of China, which stepped in with credit lines, while earlier steps to build up loan-loss reserve buffers paid off.
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