Comparative study of financing for small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in China and U.S.

Abstract

Financing for SMEs is a compelling issue for both China and the US. Given that SMEs in the US have been a long-standing source of innovation and driver of GDP, financing market for SMEs has stepped into a more mature stage than in China. This thesis explores the key differences in financing for SMEs in China and the US in both debt and equity financing with a comparative study based on abundant empirical case studies, literature reading and analysis, trying to identify some main takeaways from the US market for the Chinese market. However, due to different commercial environment and DNAs of the economies, different features have appeared and are playing critical roles in these two economies. It would be more crucial for Chinese policy makers to set up better-rounded law enforcement for the unique practices in China than to simply learn the practices in the US.