China's banking regulator has urged lenders to devolve responsibility for loan approvals in order to boost credit to small and micro businesses, but also emphasized that risks need to be kept under control.

Guo Shuqing, who was appointed chairman of the regulator in February, said it would also explore preferential policies to alleviate poverty and spur industrial development to help smaller businesses.

Guo's comments were made at a forum on Friday, the China Banking Regulatory Commission said in a statement on its website.

"Banks and financial institutions are encouraged to, under the premise that risks are controllable, to decentralize credit approval authority," it quoted him as saying.

China launched a plan last year to promote "inclusive' finance" with a target of launching financial services across all rungs of society, and has urged state-owned banks to take the lead.