OREANDA-NEWS. February 15, 2013. Chen Yuan, chairman of the China Development Bank (CDB), recently said at the CDB's annual work conference that this year the CDB will bring into play its advantages in medium- to long-term investment and financing and comprehensive operations, give priority to supporting urbanization, step up support for key areas and weak links such as infrastructure, the people's livelihood, and "going out (abroad)", and issue over half of new loans to urbanization and related construction so as to provide effective financing support to the development of the real economy, reported the press-centre of CDB.  

In 2012 the CDB seriously implemented the national macroeconomic policies, made efforts to seek progress amid stability, actively served the needs of stabilizing growth, carrying out restructuring and reform, and benefiting the people, and made new progress in various business areas. As of the end of 2012, total assets at the CDB stood at 7.37 trillion yuan, and at 0.3% the Bank's NPL ratio has been within 1% for 31 consecutive quarters, indicating that the Bank has improved its ability to control risks while maintaining sustainable development.

Chen Yuan pointed out that last year the CDB strengthened coordinating its loan portfolios by issuing additional 338.2 billion yuan of loans to the industries of coal, electricity, oil, transportation, agriculture, forestry, water, communications, and public infrastructural construction, thereby ensuring meeting the funding needs of high-speed rail, urban rail transportation, power grid network, and a large number of other key projects included in the 12th Five-Year Plan in order to lay a solid foundation for the development of urbanization. At the same time, the CDB actively pushed forward coordinated regional development by issuing 403.2 billion yuan of loans to central and western China and the old industrial bases in northeastern China; continually stepping up support to Xinjiang, Tibet, and the Tibetan regions in four provinces; supporting the upgrading and reform of traditional industries and the development of strategic new industries and cultural industries; and issuing 249.1 billion yuan of loans for environmental protection and energy saving and emission reduction.

The people's livelihood is a key area receiving support from the CDB in recent years. Last year the CDB issued additional 116.6 billion yuan of loans for welfare housing projects, accounting for over 60% of such loans in the banking industry and for the second year in a row for issuing over 100 billion yuan in additional such loans; issued 66.2 billion yuan of loans for water conservancy projects, accounting for nearly 50% of such loans in the banking industry; issued 135 billion yuan of loans for building a new countryside and additional 264.4 billion yuan of SME loans, cumulatively created nearly five million jobs, and promoted employment and the development of the real economy. The Bank also increased the number of those who benefit from its student loans by issuing 12 billion yuan of student loans last year, accounting for 85% of such loans in the banking industry with cumulative 7.74 million student loan recipients, so the Bank has become an important force in promoting equity in education.

As China's largest bank engaged in investment and financing cooperation with foreign countries, the CDB has actively developed its international business based on the principle of seeking mutual benefit and a win-win outcome. In 2012 the CDB actively and steadily carried out bilateral, multilateral, regional, and sub-regional pragmatic financial cooperation, implemented the agreements and special additional loans signed at the Fourth FOCAC Entrepreneurs Conference, led the effort to set up a special \\$10 billion lending project for China-Latin America infrastructural facilities, and helped bring the economic and trade cooperation between China and her partners to a new level. As of the end of 2012, the outstanding balance of the CDB's foreign currency lending stood at \\$248.2 billion with excellent asset quality.

Chen Yuan said that this year the CDB will comprehensively carry out the spirit of the 18th CPC National Congress and the Central Economic Work Meeting, deepen developmental financial practices, stick to advance planning and innovation-driven business, vigorously support stabilizing growth, carrying out restructuring, and benefiting the people, ensure meeting the funding needs of key existing and continuing state projects and significant new projects included in the 12th Five-Year Plan, push forward industrial restructuring, carry out innovation in a financial model for the people's livelihood, steadily push forward international cooperation, promote the sustained and healthy development of the economy and social harmony and stability, and make greater contributions to the completing the building of a well-off society in an all-round way.