Fitch Ratings warns Chinese banks on asset quality risks for their relatively low viability ratings, the National Business Daily reported Friday.

The international rating agency assigned its newly launched viability ratings (VRs) to a total of 16 Chinese commercial banks, finding their VRs ranging from bb to b.

Large State-owned commercial banks generally rank at the upper end of this range due to their lower level of credit risk and strong deposit franchises, and smaller banks were assigned VRs ranging from b+ to b.

Among the 16 banks, the Industrial and Commercial Bank of China, China Construction Bank, and Bank of China were assigned the highest rating of bb, and Bank of Huaxia ranked the lowest, with b.

Fitch said some VRs could come under pressure if deterioration in asset quality threatening solvency or liquidity/funding strains should reach the point of necessitating significant and/or extraordinary government assistance.