Third round of mixed ownership reform set to include more local SOEs

China has picked a group of 31 State-owned enterprises for the third round of SOE mixed ownership reform, aiming to bring more private capital into the State sector, officials at the country's top economic planner said on Wednesday.

"The State Council has chosen 31 State enterprises, run by regional authorities or the central government, and we are working with the pilot enterprises to come up with implementation plans," said Meng Wei, spokeswoman for the National Development and Reform Commission, during a news conference in Beijing.

Mixed-ownership reform is designed to further diversify the ownership structure of SOEs, going beyond mergers, acquisitions and reorganization, and has helped improve central SOEs' efficiency and competitiveness.