Aug
21
Chinese Banks Turn to New Tool to Win Customers
ByStructured deposits offer higher returns for savers, but some analysts cite growing risks to banks
SHANGHAI—Chinese banks are taking on new risks as they scramble to lure savers, turning a previously obscure line of business into a $1 trillion industry.
The explosion marks the latest effort by lenders to circumvent Beijing’s campaign against financial risk, and to head off rising competition from the lightly regulated shadow-banking sector and upstart high-tech rivals such as Ant Financial. It also reflects an old struggle in a country where banks can’t freely set their own interest rates…