While Western banks try to pick themselves up from the setbacks brought about by the financial crisis, Chinese financial institutions stand tall. And there is none taller than the Industrial and Commercial Bank of China ICBC, which is the world's largest bank in terms of market capitalisation, deposits and total profits. Although this status has not resulted in a change in credit ratings, Moody's has released a report that highlights the features that characterise the world's largest bank.
The first main feature of ICBC is that it has the complete confidence of its depositors. Depositors are happy to leave their money in the bank because there is a belief that no matter what happens,...