Bank of China's Li Lihui: Notching Up Success

Bank of China (BOC) may have passed Agricultural Bank of China (ABC) to become the nation's third-largest bank in terms of assets, moving up a notch on the Big Four ladder.

BOC and ABC reported more than 10 trillion yuan in assets each at the end of September, while ABC's yuan-based loans exceeded BOC loans by a relatively low 15.3 billion yuan at the same time.

BOC continues to enjoy a sizeable overseas advantage against domestic rivals through its international settlements business, which topped a record US$ 1.97 trillion last year, the bank said January 27. And it's now striving for more domestic business.