Chinese Premier Li Keqiang inspects an industrial park in Yantai, east China's Shandong Province, June 1, 2020. (Photo: Website of Chinese government)

Chinese Premier Li Keqiang on Monday called for efforts to channel new government funding to help medium-sized, small and micro enterprises overcome difficulties caused by the COVID-19 outbreak. 

Li made the remarks at a symposium in Qingdao in east China's Shandong Province attended by senior officials from Shandong, east China's Zhejiang and Anhui provinces, southwest China's Guizhou Province and northwest China's Shaanxi Province. 

According to a government work report that Li delivered on May 22, China plans to set its fiscal deficit above 3.6 percent of GDP in 2020, resulting in a deficit rise of 1 trillion yuan (about 141 billion U.S. dollars) from last year. It will also issue 1 trillion yuan in government bonds for COVID-19 control.