BEIJING, March 27 (Xinhua) -- Agricultural Bank of China, one of the country's four big state-owned lenders, saw its outstanding inclusive loans exceeding 3 trillion yuan (about 436.6 billion U.S. dollars) as of Monday, the bank has confirmed.
The outstanding loans, which were issued to groups including small and micro enterprises, self-employed businesses and farmers, increased by 443.3 billion yuan from the beginning of the year, the bank said.
The lender has been stepping up its efforts in providing inclusive financial support for small businesses, focusing on enterprises in areas such as rural revitalization, scientific and technological innovation, and green development, it said.
Meanwhile, the bank has set up 500 institutions for inclusive financial services and nearly 10,000 credit service outlets for small and micro businesses across the country.
The bank said it will continue to optimize the system and mechanism, while strengthening its policy support to provide better services.