Dec. 8 (Bloomberg) -- China ordered banks to set aside larger reserves for the 10th time this year, to try to prevent the world's fastest-growing major economy from overheating.

Lenders must put aside 14.5 percent of deposits as reserves, starting Dec. 25, up from the previous 13.5 percent, the People's Bank of China said today on its Web site. The ratio is the highest since at least 1987 when the data began..