China Construction Bank, one of the four largest State-owned banks, said yesterday its pre-tax profit rose by 14.3 per cent year-on-year during the first quarter of this year.

The bank's unaudited pre-tax profit increased to 17.3 billion yuan (US$2.1 billion).

Economists said the first quarter profit figures were good news for the bank, which plans to list shares this year.

Domestic banks will have to sharpen their competitive edge before foreign banks are permitted to enter the Chinese market without restrictions by the end of 2006, said Wang Zhao, a senior researcher at the State Council Development Research Centre.

The bank, which received a US$22.5 billion capital injection from the State at the end of 2003, was chosen by the government as a trial joint stock bank.

It established a joint stock listing vehicle - China Construction Bank Corporation - last September, following the breaking up of the institution into two parts.

Source: China Daily