BEIJING, May 14 (Xinhua) -- China's yuan-denominated loans rose 8.59 trillion yuan (about 1.26 trillion U.S. dollars) in the first four months of 2026, central bank data showed on Thursday.

At the end of April, outstanding yuan loans stood at 280.5 trillion yuan, up 5.6 percent year on year, according to the People's Bank of China.

The M2, a broad measure of money supply that covers cash in circulation and all deposits, had increased by 8.6 percent year on year to 353.04 trillion yuan by the end of last month.

The M1, which covers cash in circulation, demand deposits and client reserves of non-bank payment institutions, reached 114.58 trillion yuan at the end of April, up 5 percent from the same period of last year. ■