China's one-year loan prime rate (LPR), a market-based benchmark lending rate, came in at 3 percent Monday, unchanged from the previous month.
The over-five-year LPR, on which many lenders base their mortgage rates, also remained unchanged from the previous reading of 3.5 percent, according to the National Interbank Funding Center, a sub-institution affiliated to the People's Bank of China.
LPRs reflect the level of financing costs for households and businesses, with lower rates meaning less burdens for borrowers and stronger support for economic activity.
Latest data show that the weighted average interest rate for new business loans fell to about 3.3 percent in the first six months of this year, down 45 basis points from a year earlier, while the rate for new personal mortgages dropped to around 3.1 percent, a decrease of 60 basis points.
China has vowed to adopt a moderately loose monetary policy in 2025, according to this year's government work report.
China's loan prime rates remain unchanged
Several nations and international organizations have voiced strong condemnation against recent U.S. military actions targeting Venezuela, emphasizing the importance of international law and diplomatic solutions.
The United States launched military operations in Venezuela that led to the capture of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and his wife on Jan 3. The Venezuelan government said the strikes hit civilian and military sites in at least four states, including Caracas, Miranda, Aragua and La Guaira. The U.S. attack has left 100 dead, Venezuela's interior ministry said Wednesday.
"The international law, the rules, the rules and regulations of the international system should be really respected. We at the African Union disapprove completely the kidnapping of a sitting president. We issued and released a communique, asking the global powers, influential countries to respect the rule of law, to respect the international law, and also to respect the immunity of sitting presidents everywhere," said African Union (AU) Commission Chairperson Mahmoud Ali Youssouf.
According to Russian media reports, Russian Ambassador to Venezuela Sergey Melik-Bagdasarov, after meeting with Venezuelan Foreign Minister Yvan Gil on Friday, noted that the U.S. actions have resulted in the deaths of approximately one hundred Venezuelan civilians and military personnel.
He stressed that these tragic consequences must be severely condemned and thoroughly investigated. The ambassador added that the United States' neo-colonial, command-and-control approach clearly does not contribute to the normalization of Venezuelan oil sales, and such actions violate international law.
South African Minister of International Relations and Cooperation Ronald Lamola on Friday reiterated his country's commitment to a rules-based international order grounded in international law and multilateralism, with the United Nations (UN) at its center.
Delivering a keynote address on the 2026 Foreign Policy Outlook in Rustenburg, North West Province, Lamola said the doctrine of "might is right" must not be allowed to prevail, and that the rule of law remains fundamental to global stability, legitimacy, and governance.
He said that the unilateral military actions by the U.S. against Venezuela risk reducing the UN Charter to ashes. In the current situation, it is of unprecedented importance and urgency for countries to adhere to resolving disputes through dialogue, consultation, and diplomatic means.
Multiple nations, organizations condemn U.S. military actions against Venezuela
