Outstanding non-performing loans (NPLs) and the NPL ratio in China's banking sector both dropped as of the end of February, according to figures released by the China Banking Regulatory Commission Wednesday.

Outstanding NPLs for commercial banks was 553.5 billion yuan (about 81 billion U.S. dollars), down 6.8 billion yuan; the NPL ratio was 2.2 percent, down 0.24 percentage points, compared with the beginning of this year.

Total outstanding NPLs in the country's banking sector that also included other financial institutions such as policy banks, loan companies and postal savings banks, was down 17.5 billion yuan at 1.5334 trillion yuan compared to the beginning of January. The NPL ratio was also 0.42 percentage points less at 4.5 percent.

(Xinhua News Agency March 26, 2009)