An amateur auto rally is being held in the Gobi Desert in northwest China and the neighboring country Kyrgyzstan. This is an amateur version of the Taklimakan Rally. From Aksu Prefecture in Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region to the Kyrgyz capital of Bishkek, the rally covers some 3,000 kilometers.
From last Saturday to Monday, the racers completed the stages in China. They experienced excitement in multiple spots along a route of approximately 720 kilometers, including the Tomur Grand Canyon and parts of professional stage of the Taklimakan Rally.
On Tuesday, some racers crossed the border and started the rest of the rally for six days in Kyrgyzstan. When they finally reach Bishkek, they will celebrate.
It is the second amateur rally since initiation last year. The goal is to connect China with Central Asian countries and enable the innovative model for regional cooperation.
Amateur Taklimakan Rally kicks off in northwest China
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.
China's aggregate social financing maintains high growth in 2025
