China Construction Bank, the mainland's third-largest lender, said on Friday it is planning an A-share listing in Shanghai to boost its capital base.

The bank, which raised $9.2 billion in a Hong Kong initial public offering (IPO) in October 2005, plans to issue no more than 9 billion A shares, it said in an announcement to the Hong Kong stock exchange.

The A shares will account for 3.85 percent of its total share issue. Based on its closing H-share price of HK$4.91 on Friday, the bank would raise up to HK$44.2 billion in the sale.

"The A-share issue will establish a new financing platform, strengthen the bank's capital base, support ongoing business development and further improve competitiveness," the bank said.

The proceeds raised from the share issue will be used to strengthen the bank's capital base and to raise its capital adequacy level, it said.

According to its annual financial results, by the end of 2006 its capital adequacy ratio stood at 12.11 percent.

The bank's profit fell 1.7 percent last year as provisions rose and a tax break expired, outweighing gains on lending. Its net profit was 46.3 billion yuan last year, or 0.21 yuan per share.

Many large Chinese companies listed in Hong Kong, including banks such as Bank of China and Bank of Communications, have sought mainland listings over the past year as the market turned bullish and the regulator lifted a one-year ban on new IPOs last May.

Bank of China raised 20 billion yuan in Shanghai last June, while Bank of Communications in April attracted a record $188 billion of orders for its $3.3 billion Shanghai share sale.

The government is also encouraging these companies to list on mainland markets to develop the capital market and offer more investment opportunities for domestic investors.

The bank's A-share issue plan is subject to shareholder approval at its extraordinary general meeting to be held on August 23, and regulatory approval from the China Securities Regulatory Commission, the China Banking Regulatory Commission, and other regulatory bodies.

Its Hong Kong share price has more than doubled since its debut, but it slipped 4 percent this year.