BEIJING, July 17 (Reuters) - The head of China's state planning commission on Monday held a meeting with officials from private companies, in the latest attempt to improve their confidence that they can support the post-pandemic recovery.

China's private firms have been bruised by COVID-19 curbs, and a regulatory crackdown on tech and property sectors, even as authorities have reversed some policies to try to bolster the economy.

Zheng Shanjie, Chairman of China's National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC), met officials from companies including China Fangda and China Feihe, covering sectors including iron and steel smelting, electronic devices and modern logistics.

"NDRC will strive to optimise the environment for the development of the private economy, and form a synergy for the promotion of the private economy's development and expansion," a statement from the planner said.

China's policymakers have held a series of meetings to try to boost private economy. Premier Li Qiang last Wednesday urged Chinese tech platforms to support its faltering economy.

The same day, the state planner praised Tencent and Alibaba in a statement detailing a study it had done on platform firms.

Last week, the NDRC held a meeting with firms including Baidu and said it would address their specific demands in a targeted manner.

Private fixed-asset investment shrank by 0.2% in the first six months from a year earlier, in contrast to an 8.1% rise in investment by state entities, official data showed on Monday, indicating weak private sector confidence. (Reporting by Ella Cao, Ellen Zhang and Kevin Yao, Editing by Angus MacSwan and Barbara Lewis)