Briefly

Interest repayment date for SME loans extended

Financial institutions have extended the repayment of principal and interest on loans of 1.3 trillion yuan ($183 billion) for small businesses from Jan 25 to May 15, the country's top banking regulator said. Banks have also provided re-lending funds of 1.9 trillion yuan to micro, small and medium-sized companies hurt by the COVID-19 outbreak, according to a statement on the website of the China Banking and Insurance Regulatory Commission.

Fujian's tea exports rise in Jan-April

East China's Fujian province exported more than 7,726 metric tons of tea during the first four months of the year, up 8.7 percent on a yearly basis, the local Customs authority said. The exports, worth $135 million, were mainly oolong tea, green tea and black tea. Japan was the top destination, with export volumes surpassing 2,594 tons, up 6.8 percent on a yearly basis. About 2,315 tons of tea were sold to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, 28.8 percent more than that of the same period of last year, according to Fuzhou Customs. Private enterprises in Fujian led the growth in tea exports during the period, registering cumulative exports of 5,094.8 tons, up 24.2 percent on a yearly basis, it said.

Xinhua