In order to strike a balance between policy-oriented services and commercial goals, the Agricultural Bank of China (ABC) has worked out a new plan to provide services to rural areas and begun experimental operations in eight provinces (municipalities or regions).

The core of the new plan is a two-system operational mode. Accordingly, the bank will provide services to the urban and rural areas under two distinctive operational frameworks. The bank aims to create a countryside-targeted operational mechanism in the future. Their plan divides Chinese rural areas into four categories: countryside with mass crop production, destitute rural areas, Tibet's and Qinghai's rural regions, and rich countryside & the suburbs of large - and medium-sized cities. Based on this classification system, the bank will decide which different services rural regions should focus on and consequently provide different types of services to different rural regions.

For more details, please read the full story in Chinese. (http://www.caijing.com.cn/home/todayspec/2007-11-25/39148.shtml)

(China.org.cn November 26, 2007)