China's small enterprises thirsty for financing

It is still difficult for China's small and micro businesses to get loans from financial institutions, said a senior official with the country's industry watchdog on Saturday. Zhu Hongren, chief engineer under the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, said the financial environment facing small and micro enterprises has undergone positive changes in recent years. Official data show that the loans small and micro enterprises received as of the end of October accounted for 21.7 percent of the country's total loans this year, marking the third year of annual growth. However, it remains hard for small and micro enterprises to borrow money, as large-enterprise-oriented financial institutions tend to turn a cold shoulder to them in order to avoid risks, Zhu said. Zhu said China needs to set up small and medium-sized financial service providers to meet the various demands of small and micro enterprises. China also needs to encourage and guide more private capital to fund these enterprises, Zhu added.