On March 23, CITIC Bank held its 2025 performance conference. Vice President Gu Lingyun stated that CITIC Bank treats the execution of the five key areas as its top priority, most critical task, and primary responsibility, advancing steadily and achieving tangible, phased results. Through practice, the bank has gained a deeper understanding that excelling in these five areas is not an optional choice but a mandatory task, not a rigid assignment but a new frontier for growth. It represents the convergence of political responsibility and commercial logic, as well as a mutual advancement of serving the broader national agenda and the bank's own development.

Gu Lingyun elaborated on three key approaches:

First, starting with strategic integration to solidify the foundation for development. During the push for high-quality development, the bank consistently considered how a financial institution can accurately position itself to serve national strategies while building a sustainable foundation in a competitive market. The answer is clear: adopt a unified approach, integrating the execution of the five key financial areas with building a value-driven bank, and resolutely avoid a disconnect between strategy and operations. In CITIC Bank's development plan from 2024 to 2026, the bank has clearly proposed a strategic framework to build five leading banking capabilities: leading wealth management, comprehensive financing, transaction settlement, foreign exchange services, and digital banking. These five strategic directions are inherently aligned and highly consistent with the central government's emphasized five key areas.

Second, focusing on building systemic capabilities to activate growth momentum. The bank's advancement in the five key areas is never about merely meeting targets or boosting numbers, but about genuinely and diligently constructing systems and strengthening capabilities. This reflects a profound understanding of seizing the initiative in development. Only by deeply integrating the five key areas into systemic capability building can the bank achieve synergistic improvements in scale, quality, efficiency, and customer satisfaction, truly cultivating a sustainable growth trajectory.

Third, utilizing collaboration as a differentiating strategy to create unique advantages. CITIC's greatest strength lies in its integrated service capabilities and coordinated operations, which provides unique confidence in executing the five key areas. CITIC Group possesses a leading financial holding platform with full licenses, and its securities and trust companies are top-tier institutions in the industry. Furthermore, the group holds core advantages in industrial sectors such as advanced manufacturing and elderly care. As the largest subsidiary within the group, CITIC Bank fully leverages the "One CITIC, One Client" philosophy, transforming its unique ecosystem advantages into distinctive competitive strengths. In practice, the bank does not simply piece together resources but genuinely builds a comprehensive service model integrating finance, industry, and ecosystem.

Looking ahead to 2026, Gu Lingyun emphasized that the bank will aim for high-quality development. Sci-tech finance will take the lead, green finance will see comprehensive efforts, inclusive finance will focus on quality and efficiency improvements, pension finance will solidify its foundation, and digital finance will provide robust support. The management system for the five key areas will be planned and advanced in tandem with the bank's development strategy, contributing more of CITIC Bank's strength to building a nation with a strong financial sector.