Customers inside the Laopu Gold Co store at IFC Mall in Hong Kong on December 25, 2025 Photo: VCG

International futures gold prices surpassed $4,510 per ounce last week to reach record highs, with a weekly rise of 4.34 percent. Against this background, Chinese banks have posted risk warnings on their official websites, urging clients to be mindful of risks related to gold trading.

The Industrial and Commercial Bank of China (ICBC), for instance, posted notices recently to raise the threshold of gold-related investment, and stipulated that individual investor must go through the bank's risk appraisal from Monday when they open up accounts for gold accumulation products, domestic portal the Securities Times reported on Sunday.

Also, effective from January 8, the starting balance for the ICBC "Ruyi Gold Accumulation Plan" was raised from 1,000 yuan ($143.32) to 1,100 yuan. This made ICBC the first state-owned major bank to announce an increase in the threshold for gold accumulation products in 2026, according to the newspaper.

In another example, the Bank of China Shenzhen branch, for instance, recently warned investors about the risks of some illegal platforms raising funds to engage in gambling and scams under the guise of gold investment, attracting investors with claims of "low threshold, high returns, and quick profits," according to a post published on the bank's WeChat account on January 7.

The bank said in a notice that such activities are suspected of violating the law and participants may also be held liable. If gold-related enterprises engage in illegal gold futures trading, it is also considered illegal behavior and will be severely punished.

Tian Lihui, a professor of finance at Nankai University, told the Global Times on Sunday that the precious metals business of commercial banks is undergoing a strategic shift from one driven by scale to one driven by risk. 

"In the past, banks treated precious metals primarily as a tool to attract customers and expand their asset base. Now, the business focus is gradually shifting toward refined management and risk isolation," Tian said.

"This signifies that precious metals are no longer positioned as a universal investment product, but rather as a specialized asset class serving clients with specific risk preferences, demonstrating that commercial banks are placing greater emphasis on stability and sustainability in their business structure," Tian said.