BEIJING -- China aims to cultivate 1 million innovative small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) by 2025, according to a government guideline on the development of SMEs during the 14th Five-Year Plan period (2021-2025). By then, the country will also incubate 100,000 SMEs that feature specialization, refinement, uniqueness and innovation, and 10,000 "little giant" firms, which refer to small enterprises in their early stage of development and focusing on high-end technologies, said the guideline jointly released by the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology and 19 other ministries and government departments. Specifying the targets, the guideline said that research and development

BEIJING -- China's Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) Development Index, based on a survey of 3,000 SMEs, rose 0.2 points from the previous month to 86.3 in November, the latest industry data showed. The increase ended seven straight months of decline, but the current level is still lower than that in the same period of 2020 and 2019, according to the China Association of Small and Medium Enterprises. The index contains multiple sub-indexes to gauge the performances and expectations of SMEs. A reading below 100 indicates dented vitality. In November, the sub-indexes for financing, labor force and operating costs remained