ICBC says yuan loan growth to top 10 pct in 2008

BEIJING, Aug 21 (Reuters) - Industrial & Commercial Bank of China Ltd (1398.HK)(601398.SS), the world's biggest bank by market value, expects local currency loan growth to exceed 10 percent this year, President Yang Kaisheng told reporters.

"Though our yuan loan growth for the first half is only 6.8 percent, our yuan loan growth for the whole year will exceed 10 percent. This will bring steady interest income to our bank," he said. (Reporting by Eadie Chen, writing by Tony Munroe, editing by Tom Miles) (tony.munroe@reuters.com; Reuters Messaging: tony.munroe.reuters.com@reuters.net; +852 2843 6358, Fax +852 2845 0636))