The Agricultural Bank of China has generated a record high profit of 21.825 billion yuan (about US$2.64 billion) in the first six months of the year, up 36. 43 percent year-on-year.

Thanks to an expedited internal reform, the bank's non-performing loans dwindled by 1.44 percent, equaling 2.335 billion yuan (about US$282.35 million), from January to June, while its profit margin grew by 0.2 percentage points, according to Monday's China Securities Journal.

The bank also saw a steady increase in its deposits, which presently totals 345.201 billion yuan (about US$41.74 billion), about 21.244 billion yuan (about US$2.57 billion) more than in the same period last year.

(Xinhua News Agency July 18, 2005)