The Bank of China (BOC) was formally established in 1912. It’s part of "Big Four" with Agricultural Bank of China (ABC), China Construction Bank (CCB) and Industrial and Commercial Bank of China (ICBC). From its founding until 1942 acts as the Chinese central bank. Later, with the establishment of the People’s Bank of China (PBOC), the BOC has been transformed into a commercial bank. After the founding of People’s Republic of China (PRC), the Bank became responsible for managing China's foreign exchange operations and provided support to nation's foreign trade development.

In 2004, the BOC was recapitalized in order to strengthen its competitiveness for integration into the international market as a result of accession to the World Trade Organization (WTO). As China's most international bank, the BOC provides a comprehensive range of financial services to customers across the Chinese mainland, Hong Kong, Macau, Taiwan and 36 overseas countries. The Bank's core business is commercial banking, including corporate banking, personal banking and financial markets services.

Editor: Giovanni AVERSA