(Yicai Global) March 9 -- Chinese firms can save more than CNY510 billion (USD73.6 billion) this year due to the government's relaxed social security policies, Fu Jinling, head of the finance ministry's social security department, said on March 3.

The China Securities Regulatory Commission will ease restrictions on those venture capital funds that invest in listed Chinese companies by removing a five-year lock-up period and a 50 percent minimum stake on March 31, according to the regulator's announcement on March 6.

The CSRC will reduce Chinese brokerages' fees to help them get through the Covid-19 outbreak. Their contributions should fall by 8 percent for last year, and by 45 percent this year, the regulator said on March 6.

Hit by the virus outbreak, China's trade amounted to CNY4.12 trillion (USD594.3 billion) in the two months ended February, down 9.6 percent from a year ago, the country's customs released on March 7.

The number of Chinese banks' non-performing loans will rise to a certain extent but there is no basis for that to continue for long as the country's economic development will improve in the long run, spokesperson for the China Banking Regulatory Commission said on March 6.

Covid-19 has not majorly affected China's foreign exchange reserves as they stood at USD3.1 trillion by the end of last month, down USD1.2 billion from the beginning of the year, according to the State Administration of Foreign Exchange's statement on March 7. Gold reserves were unchanged at 62.6 million ounces.

The number of new private equity products registered in China nearly tripled to 2,340 by the end of February, compared to a year earlier, according to public data.

China's three major mainland stock benchmarks all rose my than 5 percent last week. The ChiNext Price Index was the most victorious with a 5.86 percent jump to 2,192.94 points. The Shanghai Composite Index climbed 5.35 percent to 3,034.51. The Shenzhen Composite Index edged up 5.48 percent to 11,582.82.

Editor: Emmi Laine