Asset Diversification and Efficiency : Evidence from the Chinese Banking Sector

We investigate the impact of earning asset diversification on Chinese bank efficiency from by allowing for technology change. Regressions reveal that increasing the asset share of other earning assets is positively associated with bank efficiency. Decreasing the share of nonearning assets in total assets or increasing total equity has a similar impact. Our results also suggest that financial reforms currently being undertaken in China, including removing the regulatory requirement concerning the ratio of loans to deposits and interest rate liberalization, are likely to induce a positive effect on bank efficiency in China