Smaller companies to get help

China will continue with its stimulus initiatives, trying next to encourage more private investment for smaller firms, after massive government-led infrastructure spending stoked a strong economic rebound in the first half of the year.

"More effort will be made to improve the credit structure and banking supervising system because small and medium enterprises (SMEs) still face great financial difficulties," Zhang Ping, director of the National Development and Reform Commission, told the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress yesterday.

In one of its recent reports, the top legislature also suggested special policy banks be set up for SMEs.