A news conference is held by the Jilin Provincial Branch of the People's Bank of China on Aug 6. [Photo/Cailian News]

Jilin province's financial sector maintained steady growth in the first half of 2026, with stronger credit support for key industries and lower financing costs, according to the Jilin Provincial Branch of the People's Bank of China.

By the end of June, the province's outstanding loans had exceeded 3 trillion yuan ($420 billion), an increase of 85.58 billion yuan from the beginning of the year and 12.43 billion yuan more than the increase recorded a year earlier. Short-term loans rose by 15.36 billion yuan, while medium- and long-term loans increased by 23.33 billion yuan.

Credit continued to flow toward priority sectors, with outstanding loans to science and technology industries growing 10.4 percent year on year and lending to technology-based small and medium-sized enterprises rising 20.6 percent. Green loans also increased 14.3 percent, driven by growth in energy-saving and carbon-reduction industries and new energy vehicle consumption.

Financial support expanded for the elderly care industry, the digital economy, rural vitalization, and small businesses, while outstanding agriculture-related loans reached 649.14 billion yuan and loans to small businesses totaled 819.11 billion yuan. Credit loans to small businesses grew 13 percent from a year earlier.

Financing costs also continued to decline, with the weighted average interest rate for newly issued corporate loans in June falling to 3.8 percent, while new personal mortgage loans averaged 3.1 percent.