China Tightens Statistical Rules for Bank Technology Lending

Authorities are stepping up work on a compilation of technology-enterprise industry cases to standardize data reporting for commercial banks' technology loan indicators. Projects included in the compilation will not be counted as technology loans, and the overall recognition criteria are being tightened. For example, technology project enterprises based on innovation in traditional industries will be excluded.

The current technology loan statistical framework is divided into two categories: technology-enterprise loans and technology-industry loans, and the two sets of criteria are not equally mature. The recognition standards for technology-enterprise loans are relatively clear. Even if an enterprise holds high-tech enterprise status, it must still pass industry screening; sectors such as construction and wholesale and retail will be excluded. Some construction subsidiaries of central state-owned construction groups such as China State Construction and China Communications Construction that hold high-tech qualifications will no longer be included in the statistics. The recognition standards for technology-industry loans are relatively broad. Going forward, they will move away from the old strategic emerging industry and high-technology industry catalogues and adopt a new dedicated technology-industry catalogue. Only fixed-asset loans that conform to the catalogue will be recognized; working capital loans will no longer be counted as technology-industry loans, and the recognition threshold will rise markedly.

Central bank data show that as of the end of June 2025, commercial banks' technology loan balances had exceeded RMB 44.1 trillion, with growth of 12.5%; the average lending rate for technology enterprises was 51.9%. The second-quarter monetary policy execution report released at the end of August 2026 showed that as of the end of June 2026, loans to small and medium-sized technology enterprises had increased by 20.1% year on year, significantly higher than the growth rate of all loans. The central bank said it would improve the quality and efficiency of technology financial services.

In the 2026 half-year reports of listed banks, most banks no longer disclosed specific technology loan balances. Feedback from grassroots research in 2025 showed that hard-technology enterprises in the start-up and early-stage phases still face financing difficulties, while high-quality technology enterprises entering the growth stage often work with eight to ten banks at the same time. Authorities have made clear on multiple occasions that the effectiveness of technology financial services cannot be measured simply by loan scale, and have reminded institutions to disclose technology loan scale prudently.