Bank of China (BOC) saw a net profit of 32.46 billion yuan (US$4.57 billion) in the first three quarters of this year, the bank said in a statement on Tuesday.

BOC had total assets worth of 5.27 trillion yuan at the end of September, an increase of 530.58 billion yuan, or 11.9 percent over the end of 2005.

Its total debt was 4.87 trillion yuan, an increase of 384.25 billion yuan, or 8.57 percent from nine months ago.

Total Renminbi and foreign currency deposits hit 4.05 trillion yuan, 347.2 billion yuan more than that of nine months ago, while its outstanding loans portfolio reached 2.35 trillion yuan, an increase of 9.24 percent.

BOC's non-performing loans (NPL) totaled 98.6 billion yuan as at the end of September, with a NPL ratio of 4.04 percent. The bank didn't report a rise or decline in its NPL's.

BOC is the second largest lender in China and is listed on the Shanghai and Hong Kong stock exchanges.

(Xinhua News Agency October 31, 2006)