Pakistani president meets Chinese FM in Islamabad

Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari met with visiting Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi in Islamabad, the capital of Pakistan, on Thursday, saying that no matter how the international situation changes, the Pakistani side will fully trust China and unwaveringly stand by China.

Zardari said that Pakistan-China friendship has stood the test of time, and the two countries are all-weather good friends and good partners, stressing that the world is facing risks and challenges, but China is courageous to face up to them, oppose bullying practices, and firmly safeguard its own interests and the common interests of developing countries.

He thanked China for its unselfish assistance for Pakistan's socioeconomic development, and said his country is ready to work with China to advance cooperation projects like the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) and the Gwadar Port to bring more benefits to the people of both countries.

Zardari also expressed hope that the two countries will continue to enhance coordination and cooperation on major international and regional issues, so as to jointly maintain regional peace, stability, prosperity and development.

Wang, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, said that China's development represents the growth of the force of world peace and stability, as well as the strength of developing countries, stressing that no forces or difficulties could hinder China's development.

China will continue to support Pakistan's efforts to safeguard its sovereignty, territorial integrity and national dignity, Wang said.

He said that in the changing international situation, China is ready to work with Pakistan to deepen their traditional friendship, strengthen strategic coordination, establish an upgraded Version 2.0 of the CPEC, and build a closer China-Pakistan community with a shared future in the new era for the well-being of the people of the two countries.

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.