Chinese banks should guard against liquidity risks, market risks and operation risks in response to the U.S. subprime crisis, Liu Mingkang, chairman of the China Banking Regulatory Commission, said on Thursday.

The shareholding commercial lenders also need to actively avert credit risks brought about by the economic slow-down, Liu told a bankers' meeting in Beijing.

He urged banks to boost corporate governance and internal control, closely watch the major developments in the global financial sphere and improve the ability to predict and avert international risks.

The shareholding commercial banks have become more competitive over the past years.

On average, their capital adequacy ratio was at 10.1 percent and their non-performing loans ratio fell to 1.65 percent by the end of June.

The banks posted total net earnings of 55.4 billion yuan (US$8.1 billion) in the first half of the year, up 106.2 percent from a year earlier.

(Xinhua News Agency September 26, 2008)