Warehouse storage

CHINA’S warehouse storage sector reported expansion for the fifth consecutive month in December, industry data showed.

The index tracking the sector’s development stood at 51.6 percent last month, down 2.5 percentage points from November, according to a survey jointly released by the China Federation of Logistics and Purchasing and CMST Development Co. A reading above 50 percent indicates expansion. Wang Yong, an executive assistant at CMST Development, said the December reading showed rising demand for storage services.

Loans to small firms

THE country issued more inclusive loans to small and micro firms by the end of November in 2021, official data showed.

The outstanding inclusive loans to small and micro businesses totaled 18.7 trillion yuan (US$2.94 trillion) at the end of November, up 24.1 percent year on year, according to the China Banking and Insurance Regulatory Commission.

First PPP railway

THE country’s first high-speed railway controlled by private capital has been put into operation in East China’s Zhejiang Province.

The Hangzhou-Shaoxing-Taizhou intercity railway is among China’s first group of high-speed railway projects funded by a public-private partnership (PPP), with the private sector having a holding status.

With a total investment of nearly 44.9 billion yuan (US$7 billion), the 266.9-kilometer rail line was designed with eight stops and to facilitate speeds of 350 kilometers per hour.