On December 23, Guangxi's first municipal-level unified legal entity rural commercial bank—Laibin Rural Commercial Bank—was officially inaugurated, marking a milestone achievement in the reform of Guangxi's rural cooperative financial institutions toward establishing unified municipal-level legal entity rural commercial banks.

Laibin Rural Commercial Bank was formed through the merger of five county-level rural cooperative institutions: Wuxuan Rural Commercial Bank, Jinxiu Rural Commercial Bank, Xiangzhou Rural Cooperative Bank, Xincheng Rural Credit Union, and Heshan Rural Credit Union. Post-merger, the bank's total assets reached 60.579 billion yuan, with deposits totaling 52.635 billion yuan and loans amounting to 40.101 billion yuan, reflecting a significant enhancement in overall strength.

In recent years, provinces such as Sichuan, Xinjiang, Yunnan, Anhui, Guangxi, and Guizhou have successively advanced the establishment or preparation of unified municipal-level rural commercial banks, representing the latest practical approach to promoting "reduction in quantity, improvement in quality" among rural cooperative institutions.

**Guangxi’s First Municipal-Level Unified Legal Entity Rural Commercial Bank Launched** Originating from the Yunbao Credit Cooperative established in 1953, Laibin Rural Commercial Bank underwent restructuring in 2008 to become Guangxi Laibin Guizhong Rural Cooperative Bank and was further reformed into Laibin Rural Commercial Bank in 2021.

In February 2025, Guangxi Rural Commercial United Bank announced plans to initiate the establishment of a unified legal entity rural commercial bank in Laibin, given its mature conditions under the "reduction in quantity, improvement in quality" directive. On November 13 this year, regulatory approval was granted for Laibin Rural Commercial Bank to merge the five aforementioned county-level institutions, achieving a "six-in-one" transformation from a county-level to a municipal-level unified legal entity.

At the inauguration ceremony on December 23, Laibin Mayor Liao Heming stated that the establishment of the unified municipal-level Laibin Rural Commercial Bank aligns with the city’s strategic implementation of central and provincial financial reform policies. The move aims to create a stronger, better-governed, and more resilient local financial institution to support Laibin’s high-quality development.

Liao emphasized the bank’s focus on key areas of the 15th Five-Year Plan, including industrial upgrading, project development, rural revitalization, and inclusive finance. He also highlighted the importance of risk management, standardized operations, and fostering strong bank-government-enterprise relationships to enhance financial stability and integrity.

Currently, Laibin Rural Commercial Bank operates six primary branches and 96 secondary branches, employing 1,205 staff. It boasts the only city-county-township-village inclusive financial service network in Laibin, with 259 self-service banking machines and 796 rural financial service points across six counties (cities, districts) and 66 townships.

**Multi-Region Push for "Reduction in Quantity, Improvement in Quality" in Small and Medium Financial Institutions** Guangxi has accelerated reforms of its rural cooperative institutions, with Guangxi Rural Commercial United Bank—the fifth provincial-level rural commercial united bank in China—launched in February 2024. The bank has since initiated equity investments in county-level institutions, pioneering the "top-down" investment model among provincial-level rural commercial united banks.

Luo Jun, Chairman of Guangxi Rural Commercial United Bank, noted that establishing municipal-level rural commercial banks will be a key measure in deepening reforms, adhering to a "step-by-step, pilot-first" approach.

Beyond Guangxi, provinces like Sichuan, Xinjiang, Yunnan, Anhui, and Guizhou have also progressed in forming or preparing municipal-level unified legal entity rural commercial banks. Sichuan stands out in reform speed and scale, having established such banks in 14 cities, with plans approved for five more. Only Luzhou has yet to propose a similar initiative.

Yunnan and Anhui have also achieved milestones. Yunnan has completed the establishment of unified legal entity rural commercial banks in Diqing, Nujiang, and Dehong, while Anhui’s first such reform was implemented in Huaibei.

Industry experts highlight that merging smaller rural cooperative institutions into municipal-level unified legal entities has become a trend in the latest round of rural credit reforms. This approach enhances economies of scale, strengthens risk resilience, reduces redundant branches and management costs, and minimizes duplicated infrastructure, freeing resources for risk control and technological advancement.

The recent Central Economic Work Conference emphasized deepening reforms to boost high-quality development, specifically calling for the "reduction in quantity, improvement in quality" of small and medium financial institutions and comprehensive capital market reforms. Analysts anticipate further consolidation among small and medium financial institutions to improve governance, risk management, and service to the real economy.