8 firms debut on China's 'new third board'

BEIJING - China's National Equities Exchange and Quotations, also known as the "new third board," saw the debut of eight new small and medium-sized enterprises during the past week.

With the newcomers, the total number of companies on the board stands at 10,278, according to the exchange.

From April 8 to 12, turnover on the board stood at 1.68 billion yuan (about $250 million), up 20.01 percent from the previous week.

The exchange was launched in early 2013 to supplement the Shanghai and Shenzhen stock exchanges to serve small and medium-sized enterprises. It is seen as an easier financing channel for small businesses, with lower costs and simpler listing procedures.