The Agricultural Bank of China (ABC), the only unlisted bank among the four major state-owned commercial banks, said on Sunday that media reports involving a capital injection were unfounded.

Zhou Qingyu, speaking on behalf of ABC, said that reports that Central Huijin -- a government-sponsored investment company -- would inject $45 billion to $50 billion into the bank by April were untrue.

Zhou said: "The statement is not accurate, and it misleads readers."

Bank president Xiang Junbo told the bank's 2008 work conference in late January that it was striving to become a large public commercial bank in about three years.

ABC reported a profit of 96 billion yuan ($13.3 billion) in 2007, up 64 percent from 2006.