China's small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) continued to post steady and positive growth in 2025, with value-added output of industrial SMEs above the designated size rising 6.9 percent year on year, according to the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology.
The update was released at a State Council Information Office press conference on industrial and information technology development held on Wednesday, where Zhang Yunming, the ministry's vice minister, outlined the high-quality development progresses of SMEs in 2025.
"In 2025, the value-added output of industrial SMEs above the designated size rose by 6.9 percent year on year, while the SME export index reached 52.4 percent in December, continued the steady expansion for 21 consecutive months," he said.
Over the past year, China has cumulatively nurtured 17,600 specialized and innovative “little giant” enterprises, more than 140,000 specialized and innovative SMEs, and more than 600,000 technology- and innovation-oriented SMEs. These “little giant” enterprises have an average research and development investment intensity of 7 percent, with a total of 460,000 invention patents, averaging 26.6 per enterprise, highlighting strong innovation capacity.
"Authorities will formulate a dedicated plan to promote SME development during the 15th Five-Year Plan period. We will fully implement regulations aimed at ensuring timely payments to SMEs, intensify efforts to clear overdue payments while resolutely curbing new arrears, and better protect the legitimate rights and interests of SMEs. Revisions to SME classification standards will also be accelerated to improve the precision and effectiveness of policy support," Zhang said.
Further measures will focus on building mechanisms to support the growth of specialized and innovative SMEs to produce novel and unique products, establishing the first group of national SME public service demonstration platforms and bases, and rolling out a three-year action plan for tiered cultivation of high-quality enterprises. China will also explore the creation of specialized and innovative empowerment centers for SMEs, improve the tiered development system for SME-focused industrial clusters, and promote coordinated and integrated development among large, medium and small enterprises, he added.
China's major SMEs register positive annual growth in 2025
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said Sunday that decisions on war and negotiations rest with Iran's leadership and the Supreme National Security Council, as U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said the two countries were still expected to sign a memorandum of understanding later in the day.
At a meeting on Sunday, Pezeshkian said that everyone must obey the decisions made by Iran's Supreme Leader, adding that the Iranian government simultaneously pursues the well-being of its people, national sovereignty, and the development of regional relations.
He stressed that through internal unity, proactive diplomacy, and economic reforms, Iran will overcome challenges.
On the same day, prior to Israel's attack on Lebanon, a source close to the Iranian negotiating team said a Qatari negotiating delegation was in Tehran, Iran's capital, and that the Iranian side was using the Qatari team to convey to the United States the terms it hoped to include in an Iran-U.S. agreement, as well as specific details it considered important.
The source emphasized that no final decision had been reached yet.
Regarding the ups and downs in the negotiations, the source said that, despite setbacks, Iran remains committed to the principle that all of its concerns must ultimately be fully taken into account. The source added that even if Iran's positions are fully reflected in the agreement, Tehran will not sign any deal within the timeframe announced by U.S. President Donald Trump.
On Sunday, the Israeli military again launched an airstrike in Beirut's southern suburbs in Lebanon.
In response, Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf said on social media that the Israeli strike had once again shown the United States "either lacks the will to fulfill its commitments or the ability to do so," making it impossible to continue the dialogue process.
Meanwhile, U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said Sunday that the U.S. and Iran still had a good chance of signing a memorandum of understanding later in the day, which would restart cargo traffic through the Strait of Hormuz and lift U.S. blockades on Iranian ports.
In an interview with U.S. media, Hegseth said the two countries are "on track to" sign a deal to end fighting on Sunday.
"It's not a matter of if, it's a matter of when," he said.
Hegseth said that after the agreement is signed, the U.S. and Iran will have 60 days to negotiate a longer-term peace arrangement and tackle broader issues, including Iran's nuclear program.
He said that the agreement is performance-based, meaning that no funds will be released to Iran until the Iranian side performs.
Iranian president says Iran's leadership decides on war, talk; US defense secretary expects MoU signed on Sunday
