In the list of winners announced by The Asset in Hong Kong, ICBC ranked No.1 in "China's Most Promising Companies 2009" (Banking & finance) and was among 20 Asia Pacific companies to win the highest honor – "Platinum Award" for "All-Round Excellence."

The Asset is a highly respected financial publication in Asia. The Asset Awards are the most prestigious and authoritative in the global capital market and banking sector. The Asset ran the "China's Most Promising Companies" for the year 2009 by dividing the targeted 300 Chinese companies that are mainly listed on the Hong Kong Exchange into 20 industry groups such as agriculture, auto, energy, banking & finance, transport and telecom. Investment professionals and research analysts were invited to rank these 300 companies based on five areas: earnings/profitability, quality of management, corporate governance and treatment of minority shareholders and effectiveness of investor relations. Three most promising companies were selected from each industry group. The "Platinum Awards for All-Round Excellence" were presented to companies with outstanding performance in corporate governance, financial performance, social responsibility and environmental responsibility. The winners were chosen based on the questionnaire responses and opinions from the investors.

Industry insiders believed that ICBC winning two awards from The Asset –"China's Most Promising Companies 2009" (Banking & Finance) No.1 and "Platinum Award for All-Round Excellence" won the respect from the international capital market and the bankers on the progress made by the domestic commercial banks in the areas of corporate governance, internal management, operation result and social responsibility.