Profit picture worsens at Chinese banks

Higher provisions for impairment losses hurt earnings in 2014; risk control more important

Profit growth slowed for the Chinese banking sector last year while bad loans continued to rise amid pressure from an economic downturn.

The Agricultural Bank of China Ltd said on Tuesday that its year-on-year growth in net profit was just 8 percent in 2014, compared with 14.5 percent in 2013.