Chinese banks are expected to lend 3 trillion yuan ($438.96 billion) in the next half of this year.

Most of that money will be distributed by small and medium-sized banks, since the big four state-owned banks have reached or nearly reached their loan targets this year through lending for large infrastructure projects, the Securities Times reported today.

China's new loans in the first half of this year totaled 7.72 trillion yuan, the China Banking Regulatory Commission said earlier this month.

(Chinadaily.com.cn August 14, 2009)