BEIJING, Feb. 18 (Xinhua) -- In 2025, China saw a strong expansion of green loans, channeling more financial resources into low-carbon sectors and providing solid momentum for accelerating the country's green economic and social transition, the central bank said.

The balance of China's green loans in local and foreign currencies stood at 44.8 trillion yuan (about 6.46 trillion U.S. dollars) at the end of 2025, up 20.2 percent year on year, according to a report released by the People's Bank of China.

During the 14th Five-Year Plan period (2021-2025), green loans grew at an average annual rate of 30.2 percent, 21.1 percentage points higher than that of total lending, while their share of overall loan balances surged from 6.7 percent to 16.2 percent.

During the period, cumulative green bond issuance reached 5.2 trillion yuan, with outstanding balances of 2.4 trillion yuan, making China one of the world's largest green bond markets, according to the report.

Going forward, the PBOC will extend support to cover more areas with carbon-reduction benefits, help unlock the value of resources and environmental assets, and support financial institutions in participating in an orderly manner in the development of the national carbon market, the report said. ■