Bangladesh, Sept. 28 -- The Industrial and Commercial Bank of China is a global financial powerhouse, but leaked internal records examined by an international team of journalists suggest its overseas operations cannot always be understood through conventional banking logic alone.

The "China Capital" investigation, coordinated by the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists with 23 media partners, examined more than 4.8 million confidential records from two ICBC units in the United Kingdom. The documents offer an unusually detailed view of how commercial considerations, geopolitical priorities and China's state interests can intersect inside one of the country's most important financial institutions.

The investigation portr...