BEIJING?— China's small and medium-sized banks are in stable operation and the risks are controllable, though the non-performing assets rose slightly, according to the China Banking and Insurance Regulatory Commission (CBIRC) on April 3.

Zhou Liang, vice-chairman of the CBIRC said the small and medium-sized banks' development mode, corporate governance, operation and management, and the capability to fend off risks have improved significantly.

A few small and medium-sized banks are indeed facing risks and challenges due to the impact of the epidemic as well as the economic downturn, and the commission will take various measures to step up reform and restructuring of these banks and fully assess the risks that may arise from the disposal, said Zhou.

China's central bank on April 3 announced a decision to cut the reserve requirement ratio for small and medium-sized banks by 100 basis points, which will release 400 billion yuan (about $56.3 billion) of long-term funds in its latest effort to bolster the real economy amid the novel coronavirus outbreak.