China's total banking assets have leaped to 37.47 trillion yuan (4.6 trillion U.S. dollars) at the end of 2005 after a 18.6 percent increase from the previous year, reports the banking watchdog.

The Big Four state banks -- Bank of China, China Construction Bank, Industrial and Commercial Bank of China, and Agricultural Bank of China -- saw assets rise 16.1 percent, reaching a combined sum of 19.66 trillion yuan, which accounts for more than half of the industry's total.

The China Banking Regulatory Commission (CBRC) also revealed in their latest report that the dozen smaller, national shareholding banks posted 5.81 trillion yuan in assets, an increase of 23.7 percent.

China's city commercial banks, rural commercial banks and rural credit cooperatives were also included in the report's figures.

Meanwhile, Chinese banking institutions' debts rose 18.1 percent from the previous year to 35.81 trillion yuan at the end of 2005, the CBRC said.

Source: Xinhua