China-Laos Railway cargo hits new high in Jan-July period

The China-Laos Railway transported more than 3.43 million tonnes of goods in the first seven months of 2025, hitting a new high for the same period, according to customs authorities in Kunming, capital city of southwest China's Yunnan Province.

The cargo value exceeded 15.4 billion yuan (about 2.14 billion U.S. dollars), surging 41 percent year on year, while the freight volume rose by over six percent, according to Kunming Customs.

As an important transport corridor connecting China with Southeast Asia, the China-Laos Railway now facilitates trade with 19 countries including Thailand and Vietnam, and the variety of products transported has expanded from around 500 types to more than 3,600.

The 1,035-kilometer rail line, as a flagship project within the framework of the China-proposed Belt and Road Initiative, connects Kunming with Vientiane, the capital of Laos. Since its launch on Dec 3, 2021, it has significantly enhanced regional connectivity, boosted regional economic growth, and facilitated people-to-people and cultural exchanges.

China's outstanding aggregate social financing -- the total amount of financing to the real economy -- reached 442.12 trillion yuan (about 63.4 trillion U.S. dollars) as of the end of 2025, up 8.3 percent year on year, central bank data showed on Thursday.

The country's aggregate social financing stood at 35.6 trillion yuan (about 5.1 trillion U.S. dollars) in 2025, up by 3.34 trillion yuan (about 479 billion U.S. dollars) from the year 2024, said the People's Bank of China (PBOC), the country's central bank.

According to the data, the M2, a broad measure of money supply that covers cash in circulation and all deposits, increased 8.5 percent year on year to 340.29 trillion yuan (about 48.8 trillion U.S. dollars) as of the end of December.

In addition, outstanding yuan loans stood at 271.91 trillion yuan (about 39 trillion U.S. dollars) at the end of 2025, up 6.4 percent year on year.