BEIJING, May 24 (Xinhua) -- China's policymakers have rolled out a raft of measures over the past week to shore up the economy and mitigate the impacts of the COVID-19 epidemic.

The following are the latest policies taken during the period:

-- Monetary policy to be more flexible, appropriate

China will pursue a prudent monetary policy in a more flexible and appropriate way, according to a government work report submitted to the national legislature for deliberation on May 22.

The country will use a variety of tools including reserve requirement ratio cuts, interest rate reductions and re-lending to enable M2 money supply and aggregate financing to grow at notably higher rates than last year, said the report.

As the country works to develop new monetary policy instruments that can directly stimulate the real economy, it is crucial to take steps to ensure enterprises can secure loans more easily, and promote steady reduction of interest rates, said the report.

-- Expanding trade

China will further bolster trade and investments with countries along the Belt and Road, among other efforts to facilitate foreign trade against pandemic challenges, officials said on May 18.

The country will explore emerging markets while maintaining ties with traditional ones amid virus-hit global demand, Commerce Minister Zhong Shan told a press conference, citing increasing trade volume with countries along the Belt and Road.

China will also work with countries along the Belt and Road to help tackle difficulties for overseas companies and projects, establish more free-trade zones, and include more countries in investment cooperation, said Vice Minister of Commerce Wang Bingnan.

-- Further opening-up

China will continue to broaden market access and open up its service sector as part of efforts to keep foreign investment stable amid the COVID-19 epidemic, the country's commerce minister said on May 18.

China will roll out incentives to attract foreign investment into the country's central and western regions as well as the old industrial bases in the northeast regions, which have abundant development potential with the help of government supportive measures, Minister of Commerce Zhong Shan said.

The country will expand the scope of pilot free trade zones, give them greater autonomy in their reform, and further accelerate the construction of a free trade port in south China's Hainan Province.

-- Easing rules for forex settlement

China on May 20 eased rules on foreign exchange settlement and purchases amid efforts to support cross-border e-commerce and other new trade industries.

Banks are allowed to offer foreign exchange settlement services for market entities of cross-border e-commerce and other new trade industries upon provision of relevant electronic transaction information, according to a guideline released by the State Administration of Foreign Exchange. Enditem

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