BEIJING — China's Ministry of Industry and Information Technology has recently released a guideline to facilitate the digital transformation of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).

The guideline calls for the creation of digital applications for instant communication, long-distance collaboration and project management in order to better meet the needs of such companies during the transformation.

Digital service providers and internet platforms have been asked to develop more convenient solutions for the issues faced by SMEs in advancing digital transformation.

To step up policy support for the companies, relevant departments should offer more guidance, increase financial assistance, expand pilot programs and improve services, according to the guideline.

The ministry has also published the 2022 list of standards for assessing the digital capability of SMEs.