He and any banks that provided a loan after a bankruptcy filing would rank first in the line of creditors to be paid.

At Citicorp, now the second-largest bank ranked by assets, revenue increased by 8 percent.

The new bank, with combined assets of $185 billion, will rank as the sixth largest in the nation if all other bank mergers announced this year are completed.

The bank now ranks No. 26 in managing debt for European governments, down from 12th last year, according to Bloomberg data.

By the mid-20th century it had an international presence, and was ranked the fifth-largest bank in the United States and third-largest in California in terms of deposits.

The combined bank would rank 8th if all pending mergers were completed.

With 169 employees and a total capitalization of approximately $19 million, the bank currently ranks as the 22nd largest in total assets among 31 commercial banks in Belarus.

The two regional banks rank next largest.

China's four main government-owned banks already rank among the most insolvent in the world, failing to collect timely interest and principal payments on nearly half their loans.

The banking department did not say how particular banks would rank under its new formula.