Peng Huagang, deputy secretary general of the State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission (file photo/Xinhua)

The deputy secretary general of the State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission has confirmed China's centrally administered State-owned enterprises will be divided into three types: entity industrial groups, investment companies and operating companies, China Business News reported.

Peng Huagang made these remarks at a news briefing held by the SASAC on Friday, and said the function of State assets investment and operating companies will be clarified gradually.

State asset investment companies focus on promoting industrial integration, as well as the transformation and upgrade of the sector in some key regions, and the optimization of the State assets layout structure, while operating companies focus on improving efficiency and rational flow of State assets.

"The country also plans to promote the restructure of coal power, heavy equipment manufacturing and steel sectors and to explore overseas asset integration," Peng said.

Currently, China has 102 centrally administered SOEs, which manage the bulk of the country's State assets.

This year, the government pledged to deepen the State-owned enterprises (SOE) reform and promised measures, including the introduction of a mixed ownership system and the incorporation of more efforts to make SOEs leaner, healthier and better in performance.

According to the Ministry of Finance, Chinese SOEs administered by different levels of government – including central SOEs – have made a combined profit of 825 billion yuan during the first four months of 2017, up 24.8 percent year-on-year.

The rate outpaced the combined business revenue growth by all SOEs, standing at 17.5 percent year-on-year, which has made 15.6 trillion yuan during the same period, the ministry said.