The International Finance Corporation (IFC), the private sector arm of the World Bank Group, Tuesday in Shanghai agreed to provide a package of financial support up to 105 million US dollars to two Chinese non-state enterprises.

According to sources here, the IFC will provide 35 million US dollars in financing to Xin'ao Gas Holdings and its subsidiaries, including a loan of no more than 25 million US dollars to three Xin'ao subsidiaries operating in Shijiazhuang of Hebei Province, Bengbu of Anhui Province and Xiangtan of Hunan Province. The IFC will also invest up to 10 million US dollars in Xin'ao's equity.

Established in 1993, Xin'ao is one of China's first private gas distribution companies. As part of the agreement, IFC plans to help Xin'ao develop an environmental and social management system.It will also help develop and expand Xin'ao's gas distribution infrastructure in the three cities, covering gas processing plants, gas distribution pipelines, and control and data acquisition systems.

In a separate deal, the IFC will provide 70 million US dollars in loan to help Antai Group, one of the major coke producers based in Shanxi Province, to build a new plant equipped with sophisticated facilities for environment-friendly production.

The IFC's total investment in China has exceeded 1.6 billion US dollars with the inking of the two agreements.