BEIJING — China’s inclusive finance developed faster in the first half of this year, with loans increasing by 1.49 trillion yuan ($216.6 billion), according to the People’s Bank of China.

The loan balance of the inclusive finance sector stood at 16.34 trillion yuan at the end of June, up 16.2 percent year-on-year.

Inclusive finance covers financial institutions’ services for small businesses, farmers, those on low-incomes, the disabled and senior citizens.

In the first half, lending to micro and small businesses grew by 22.5 percent year-on-year to 10.71 trillion yuan, while those to farmers gained 5.6 percent to 5.29 trillion yuan.