Sadia Bhatti

Industrial and Commercial Bank of China

Industrial and Commercial Bank of China Ltd. (ICBC) (simplified Chinese: 中国工商银行; traditional Chinese: 中國工商銀行; pinyin: Zhōngguó Gōngshāng Yínháng, more commonly just 工行 Gōngháng) is China's largest bank and the largest bank in the world. It is one of China's "Big Four" state-owned commercial banks (the other three being the Bank of China, Agricultural Bank of China, and China Construction Bank). It is the largest bank in the world in terms of market value, the world's largest bank by deposits, and the world's most profitable bank. It was founded as a limited company on January 1, 1984. As of 2009, it had assets of RMB 11 trillion (US$1.6 trillion), with over 18,000 outlets including 106 overseas branches and agents globally. In July 2007, with a market capitalization of US$254 billion, it became the world's most valuable bank after a surge in its share price, overtaking Citigroup.