BEIJING — Almost all of China’s central State-owned enterprises (SOEs) have been transformed into limited companies or corporations, according to the country’s top SOE regulator.

China’s central SOEs were once publicly owned, without shareholders. The corporation system introduces shareholders, which helps define operation responsibilities and make enterprises into independent market economy players.

A majority of the 60-plus central SOEs and about 2,500 central SOE subsidiaries have finished or are undergoing the transformation.

“This is a historic breakthrough in China’s SOE reform. It paves the way for further reforms such as equity diversification and mixed ownership,” said Peng Huagang, spokesperson for the State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission (SASAC).

The reform helped trim over 8,300 redundant central SOE branches and saved management capital worth 13.5 billion yuan ($2.14 billion), SASAC data showed.