Some lenders are also deferring bonuses and cutting headcount as they tighten their purse strings
2-MIN READ2-MIN ListenXinyi Wuin BeijingPublished: 3:00pm, 9 Apr 2026Several major Chinese banks have clawed back staff bonuses or cut salaries amid a sluggish economic recovery and Beijing’s ongoing scrutiny of the financial sector.
In their annual reports, an increasing number of lenders, ranging from state-owned institutions to commercial banks, are disclosing the amount of performance-based compensation reclaimed from their employees last year.
State-owned Bank of China recovered 47.18 million yuan (US$6.9 million) from 4,630 individuals in 2025, according to its latest annual report. In 2024, it clawed back 32.5 million yuan from nearly 2,500 staff.
China Bohai Bank, a Tianjin-based commercial lender, clawed back 19.58 million yuan in bonuses from 816 individuals last year, while Henan’s Zhongyuan Bank reported that it recovered 13.57 million yuan, without revealing the number of employees affected.
Several other banks, including China Construction Bank and Huaxia Bank, have made similar disclosures.
