After reaching a scale of 3 trillion yuan, where will Nanjing Bank's next "Decade Growth Pole" be?

Produced By|China Investigation Network

Review|Li Xiaoyan

In 2026, Nanjing Bank is entering a milestone year marking its 30th anniversary. From its founding in 1996, to going public in 2007, and then to surpassing RMB 3 trillion in total assets in 2025, this urban commercial bank rooted in Jiangsu and radiating across the Yangtze River Delta is completing a strategic transition from a “scale-focused bank” to a “value-focused bank” with a steady posture. In the new normal of intensifying differentiation in the banking industry and tightening regulation, Nanjing Bank, backed by a solid performance base, precise strategic deployment, and an active rectification stance, has demonstrated strong development resilience and growth potential.

In 2025, Nanjing Bank delivered impressive results: full-year operating revenue of RMB 55.5 billion, up 10.48% year over year; attributable net profit of RMB 21.8 billion, up 8.08% year over year; and growth rates of core indicators remain consistently among the top tier among listed banks. Total assets reached RMB 3.02 trillion, up 16.63% year over year, successfully joining the “RMB 3-trillion club” and solidifying its position as a first-tier urban commercial bank.

Earnings structure has been steadily optimized. Net interest income was RMB 34.9 billion, up 31.08% year over year, showing strong asset pricing quality and liability cost management capabilities during the period of falling interest rates. Deposit and lending scales expanded in tandem: total deposits were RMB 30k and total loans were RMB 30.2k, increasing 11.67% and 13.37%, respectively, laying a solid funding base for sustained development. The customer base has continued to be strengthened: the number of value corporate customers increased by 19.04%; retail AUM increased by 21.23%; private banking AUM increased by 22.94%; and the number of mobile banking users increased by 29.85%. High-quality customer segments have become the core engine of growth.

Asset quality remains excellent. The ratio of non-performing loans has been kept below 1% for 15 consecutive years, and at end-2025 it remained at a low level of 0.83%. The provision coverage ratio was 313%, providing ample risk coverage capacity, far above the regulatory red line. Against the backdrop of narrowing industry net interest margins and increased risk pressure, Nanjing Bank, with its operating approach of “stabilizing volume, improving quality, and rising steadily,” has highlighted its steady fundamentals for weathering the cycle.

Compliance is the lifeline of bank development. In response to regulatory penalties that emerged in recent years, Nanjing Bank neither avoids nor conceals issues. With an attitude of “establishing the bank and making corrections, and carrying out comprehensive rectification,” it addresses shortcomings and closes gaps. At the end of 2025, the bank implemented a major personnel adjustment: the president, Zhu Gang, concurrently served as the Chief Compliance Officer, elevating compliance management to a strategic level. It broke down departmental silos and achieved seamless alignment across “decision-making, execution, and supervision.”

A dual-engine approach of systems and technology drives an upgraded risk control framework. On the systems front, it conducts comprehensive checks of weak links such as the “three checks” in credit reviews and trade background assessments; it improves risk early-warning mechanisms across the entire process; it strengthens training for account managers in fulfilling their duties; and it embeds compliance into the full business chain. On the technology front, it accelerates the development of intelligent risk control, introducing AI visual recognition and big data risk-control models to enable automated verification of the authenticity of materials and real-time monitoring of fund flows. As a result, risk identification efficiency and accuracy have improved significantly.

Rectification outcomes are gradually becoming visible. In 2025, the amount of fines was reduced by more than 60% compared with 2024, and a compliance culture has been infused from top to bottom. Branches such as those in Hangzhou and Lianyungang completed rectification for their respective issues, and internal control execution strength has been continuously reinforced. Short-term pains bring long-term stability. Nanjing Bank is building a risk defense line for high-quality development with stricter standards and more practical measures.

Based on the industrial fertile ground of the Yangtze River Delta, Nanjing Bank will treat science-and-technology finance, green finance, and inclusive finance as strategic pillars, building differentiated competitive advantages. In the area of science-and-technology finance, it has built a system of “science-and-technology centers at 17 branches + an intelligent investment-and-loan management caretaker + full-cycle products,” serving more than 17k technology enterprises. It provides credit of RMB 127.2 billion, and the coverage rate of provincial “specialized, refined, distinctive, and innovative” enterprises reaches 50%. It launched the online product “Xin’e Keqi” (鑫e科企), serving 28k enterprises, with pre-credit approval exceeding RMB 25.4 billion, becoming a growth partner for technology enterprises.

Inclusive finance provides precise targeting. With “digital-intelligent inclusive finance” as the lever, it builds a “scenarios + data + algorithms” model, and develops 120 AI smart agents, with the online customer adoption rate reaching 70%. Online products such as “Xinshui e-loan” (鑫税e贷) and “Xinbao e-loan” (鑫保贷) have cumulatively deployed more than RMB 30k, supporting the growth of 42k micro and small businesses. Renewals with continued lending (without repayment of principal) exceeded RMB 66 billion, effectively lowering corporate financing costs. Green finance innovation has achieved breakthroughs: it launched “Green Factory Loan” (绿色工厂贷), and introduced carbon-footprint-linked loans, using financial leverage to support the “dual carbon” goals.

Deep local cultivation and coordinated development proceed in parallel. As a Jiangsu-based bank, it has deeply integrated into the region’s development strategy. In 2025, total credit deployment in Jiangsu exceeded RMB 1 trillion, supporting advanced manufacturing such as new energy, high-end equipment, and biopharmaceuticals. At the same time, it steadily expanded its Yangtze River Delta footprint: the Hangzhou branch serves 3,000 science-and-technology enterprises and deployed RMB 85 billion, becoming an off-site benchmark. This formed a “dual-wheel pattern” of “local deep cultivation + regional coordination,” continuously broadening development space.

In the face of the digitalization wave, Nanjing Bank accelerates technology empowerment, building “four major digital foundations” to push comprehensive intelligent transformation across services, risk control, and management. It increases technology investment and talent reserves, deploys large-model intelligent agents, and launches the “Double Hundred Plan.” RPA technology covers 100+ processes. The bank saves 300k labor hours per year and reduces operating costs by 15%. Loan approvals have been reduced from 3 days to 1 hour, significantly improving service efficiency.

Online service capabilities have been significantly enhanced. The number of mobile banking users reaches 8.5 million households, and online transaction share is 72%. Digitalized products such as “XinYun e-chain” (鑫云e链) cover end-to-end supply chain scenarios, providing digital wallet services for 200k+ micro and small businesses. Through “an industry brain + a marketing brain,” it precisely detects industry trends and customer needs, enabling precise marketing and risk prediction. Its digital transformation is shifting from “catching up” to “leading,” injecting technological momentum into value growth.

At the new starting point of its 30th anniversary, Nanjing Bank deepens its new five-year plan, focusing on “value growth” to promote coordinated improvement in scale, quality, and efficiency. In 2026, it will focus on three major directions: first, optimize the business mix and increase the proportion of high-value-added businesses such as wealth management, investment banking, and cross-border finance to ease pressure on net interest margins; second, strengthen risk control and compliance by improving a comprehensive risk management system and maintaining excellent asset quality; third, accelerate digitalization and specialization, consolidate advantages in science-and-technology finance, inclusive finance, and green finance, and enhance core competitiveness.

Through three decades of ups and downs, from a local small institution to a large bank with a scale of RMB 3 trillion, Nanjing Bank has always moved in sync with the real economy. While it currently faces growth challenges such as compliance and structural issues, it is steadily moving toward “a first-class value-growth-oriented urban commercial bank,” supported by steady performance, solid risk control, distinct strengths, and an active stance toward change. In the future, as strategy is implemented and reforms deepen, Nanjing Bank will surely advance steadily toward a new journey of high-quality development.