BEIJING - The Industrial and Commercial Bank of China (ICBC), the country's biggest commercial lender, saw its business of debt financing instruments (DFI) underwriting expand steadily in the first six months amid efforts to support COVID-19 prevention and control.

The bank acted as the lead underwriter for 1,412 DFI, whose total financing volume surpassed 910 billion yuan ($130 billion) with a 25-percent year-on-year growth, according to a statement on its website.

It opened a green channel for the underwriting and issuance of bonds related to epidemic prevention and control, so as to facilitate fund-raising for pharmaceutical, logistics, and transport companies.

During the January-June period, the bank underwrote and issued 45 such anti-epidemic bonds, raising over 137 billion yuan for 41 clients.