China's loan balance of business entities in key service consumption sectors reaches 2.8 trl yuan

China's loan balance of business entities in key areas of service consumption had reached 2.8 trillion yuan (about 390 billion U.S. dollars) as of the end of June, an official with the People's Bank of China (PBOC), the central bank, said at a press conference in Beijing on Wednesday.

Che Shiyi, director of the PBOC's Credit Market Department, said that since the beginning of this year, the central bank has encouraged and guided financial institutions to increase credit supply in the consumer sector.

Data shows that since the beginning of this year, the central bank has rolled out 500 billion yuan of re-lending for service consumption and elderly care.

As of the end of June, the balance of household consumption loans across the country, excluding personal housing loans, stood at 21.2 trillion yuan, and the balance of loans for business entities in key areas of service consumption such as accommodation and catering, culture, sports and entertainment, education, and resident services came in at 2.8 trillion yuan.

"The newly introduced loan interest subsidy policies for individual consumption and services businesses further demonstrate the coordinated cooperation between fiscal and financial policies. Enhancing residents' willingness to consume on the demand side and improving enterprises' capacity to provide high-quality services on the supply side are conducive to generating a policy effect where 'one plus one more than two'," said Che.

Che also said in the next phase, the central bank will guide an increase in credit allocation in the service consumption sector, strengthen information sharing with departments such as finance, promote financing connections among the government, banks and enterprises as as to ensure that policy dividends benefit more small and medium-sized business entities in the service industry.

Meanwhile, the central bank will optimize consumer finance products and services, simplify approval processes, innovate products and implement differentiated pricing based on customer needs and risk characteristics to ensure the long-term sustainability of consumer finance services.

China's loan balance of business entities in key service consumption sectors reaches 2.8 trl yuan

China's loan balance of business entities in key service consumption sectors reaches 2.8 trl yuan

China's loan balance of business entities in key service consumption sectors reaches 2.8 trl yuan

China's loan balance of business entities in key service consumption sectors reaches 2.8 trl yuan

Influenza activity in China has declined for four consecutive weeks, with recent tests showing common pathogens and no evidence of new infectious diseases, the National Health Commission (NHC) said on Tuesday.

At its first press briefing of 2026, the commission reported that flu activity nationwide remains moderate at the moment.

According to Xin Li, a researcher at the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, respiratory samples collected from sentinel hospitals indicated that the influenza virus was the most common pathogen, accounting for 27.4 percent of cases, followed by respiratory syncytial virus at 8.8 percent and rhinovirus at 5.7 percent.

"Influenza activity in China has declined for four consecutive weeks and remains at a moderate level overall. Analysis of nationwide fever clinic consultations, influenza-like illness cases at sentinel hospitals, and multi-pathogen testing shows that all detected pathogens are known common ones, with no evidence of unknown pathogens or new infectious diseases," Xin told the press.

Data from sentinel hospitals indicated flu activity was falling across provincial-level regions, while reports of school outbreaks dropped for five consecutive weeks. Laboratory tests showed that 97.3 percent of positive influenza samples were H3N2 subtype viruses.

China flu activity declines for fourth week, no new pathogens detected: official