China-Pakistan ironclad friendship lasts as long as world exists: Pakistani PM

The ironclad friendship between China and Pakistan will last as long as the world exists, said Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif during an exclusive interview with China Media Group (CMG).

Sharif commented on the remarks that compare the relationship between the two countries to "iron brothers" in the interview on Aug 31, when he was in north China's Tianjin Municipality for the 2025 Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Summit.

"It is not just rhetoric. It is not just saying words and praising each other. No, it is ingrained in history, it is etched in our historical facts," he said.

Sharif hailed China's unconditional support for his country, calling it "the most beautiful" in their relationship.

"China has always supported Pakistan without attaching any conditions, without attaching any political strings. This is the most beautiful part of this friendship," he said.

The prime minister emphasized Pakistan's unwavering adherence to the one-China policy.

"On our side, Pakistani side, we have never wavered, we have never had second thoughts about this friendship. Pakistan has always supported the one-China policy, has always supported that Taiwan as an integral part of China," he said.

Sharif also expressed the hope that the friendship will grow stronger on the basis of mutual trust, respect and support.

"No power in the world can disturb or change the metrics, ever. Until this world exists, this friendship will be there on the pillars of mutual trust, respect, and of course, ardent desire that we will keep this friendship stronger and stronger through our mutual actions. And actions speak louder than the words," said Sharif.

China-Pakistan ironclad friendship lasts as long as world exists: Pakistani PM

China-Pakistan ironclad friendship lasts as long as world exists: Pakistani PM

China-Pakistan ironclad friendship lasts as long as world exists: Pakistani PM

China-Pakistan ironclad friendship lasts as long as world exists: Pakistani PM

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