SHANGHAI (Reuters) - Industrial and Commercial Bank of China , the world's largest lender by market value, plans to expand its consumer loan book by a quarter by the end of next year.

The bank expects its total consumer loans to reach 1 trillion yuan by the end of 2010, up from 800 billion yuan now,Li Xiaopeng, an ICBC vice-president, said on Saturday.

Speaking at a financial forum, Li said the bank's consumer loans had increased by 50 billion yuan in the first four months of 2009, up 82 percent from a year earlier, due to strong spending on items such as autos.

"We will expand our outstanding consumer loans to 1 trillion yuan after two years of efforts," he said.

China's economic policymakers are straining to boost consumer spending to take up the slack from a collapse in
exports.

Car sales hit a record last month, boosted by incentives for buyers of small models, while retail sales in rural China have benefited from tax rebates for domestic appliances.

Chinese banks, however, traditionally lend primarily to corporations. The government this week unveiled proposals to permit the establishment of non-deposit-taking consumer lending companies.