In 2005, ICBC made another great achievement in bill business, and achieved a business volume of RMB 1.0087 trillion. The annual business volume exceeded RMB 1 trillion for the first time, of which the amount of purchased bill reached RMB 975.5 billion, increasing RMB 212.5 billion or by 27.8% comparing with the same period last year. By the end of 2005, the balance of ICBC bill financing had reached RMB 399.7 billion, increasing RMB 84.0 billion or by 26.6% comparing with the beginning of that year, occupying the largest market share among domestic banks in terms of balance of bill financing. With a rapid growing scale of bill assets, ICBC exerts itself to strengthen internal control and risk management. As a result, ICBC not only has zero growth of bad bill assets in 2005, but also maintains a zero non-performing ratio of various bill assets at present.

According to analysis of insiders, the fast and healthy growth of ICBC bill business firstly attributed to its advanced operating and management system of bill business. ICBC took the lead in integrating and centralizing its bill business management among domestic banks, and established the first exclusive bill agency in China -- ICBC Bill Business Department early in 2000 to give a full play to its functions of intensive operations and specialized management, and bring along the development of bill business at the level of the whole bank as well as make great achievements in growth of quality, efficiency and scale at the level of the bill business department itself. In 2005, the transaction amount of ICBC Bill Business Department reached RMB381.5 billion, accounting for nearly 40% of the bill business volume of the whole bank. By the end of 2005, the balance of bill financing of Bill Business Department had reached RMB 199.6 billion, accounting for 50% of the balance of bill financing of the whole bank.

Next, with continuously deepening financial reform in China, bills have become one of important financing for enterprises, which have a more and more obvious tendency to obtain short-term financing through bills. Give ICBC for an example, by the end of 2005, the balance of ICBC discount loans attributed to the category of credit had reached RMB 395.7 billion, increasing RMB 83.6 billion, or by 26.8% comparing with the beginning of that year. The total discount amount of bank bills had accounted for 40.8% of new loans for that year. The rapid growth of bill financing practically accelerates the improvement of corporate financing structure, standardization of market subject behaviors, and optimization of social credit environments.