BEIJING, Nov.2 (Xinhua) -- The following are the highlights of China's business news from the past week:

ENERGY SUPPLY

China has posted stronger capability of securing energy supply in the first three quarters of this year, according to the National Energy Administration (NEA) Tuesday.

The output of crude oil stood at 143 million tonnes in the Jan.-Sept. period, up 1.2 percent year on year and ending a falling streak for three years in a row, while the natural gas production grew at a faster pace, increasing by 9.5 percent to 127.7 billion cubic meters, said Song Wen, deputy director of the development and planning office of the NEA.

PMI

China's manufacturing activity index dipped in October while the structural upgrade of China's economy continued in pursuit of high-quality development.

The purchasing managers' index (PMI) for China's manufacturing sector fell to 49.3 in October from 49.8 in September, below the 50-point mark that separates expansion and contraction, the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) said Thursday.

POVERTY RELIEF LOANS

China Development Bank (CDB), a development financial institution, has issued 1.23 trillion yuan (about 174 billion U.S. dollars) of loans to support poverty relief efforts since 2016.

The loans went to financing relocation of the poor, rural infrastructure construction, industry development, and improving education, said Meng Yaping, a vice president with the bank's poverty alleviation finance division.

GLOBAL CENTER FOR DIGITAL FINANCE

The National Internet Finance Association of China (NIFA) and the World Bank jointly launched the Global Center for Digital Finance in Hangzhou, east China's Zhejiang Province.

The center is expected to become an international knowledge-sharing platform for digital finance that will facilitate exchanges of standards and expertise and provide technical support for developing countries and emerging markets.