Chinese banks extended 1.17 trillion yuan of new yuan loans in February, down from 2.03 trillion yuan a month ago, central bank data showed today. The M2, a broad measure of the money supply that covers cash in circulation and all deposits, grew by 11.1 percent from a year earlier to about 158.29 trillion yuan, according to an online People’s Bank of China statement.

Increasingly known as a rich man’s club, China’s ceremonial legislature now plans to give more seats to women, farmers, workers and professionals. The official Xinhua News Agency reported Thursday that changes to the makeup of the National People’s Congress would also reduce the proportion of delegates representing the ruling Communist Party and government departments, who now constitute about one-third of the roughly 3,000 members.

Chinese President Xi Jinping joins a panel discussion with deputies to the 12th National People’s Congress from Shanghai Municipality at the annual session of the NPC in Beijing, capital of China, March 5, 2017. [Photo/Xinhua] President Xi Jinping said China will continue to open up in all respects, particularly in further liberalizing and facilitating trade and investment, while calling on Sunday for Shanghai to take a leading role in deepening reform and boosting innovation.

The myriad services just a swipe of the finger away in China are no longer limited to food delivery, airport check-ins, or finding a bike on the street. Once beset by misconceptions and opaque proceedings, the Internet is unleashing explosive growth of people signing up for organ donation.

The Ministry of Culture said it organized more than 2,000 events to celebrate this year’s Spring Festival in over 500 cities of more than 140 countries and regions. Addressing a meeting held here on Saturday and Sunday on cultural events, Minister Luo Shugang said that 280 million people overseas attended Spring Festival celebrations.

FAW Group, a leading Chinese automaker, said that sales surged at the start of the year on the back of expanding sales outlets. FAW Group, based in the northeastern city of Changchun, reported over the weekend that wholesale volume of various vehicles rose 21 percent year on year to 552,000 units in the first two months of this year.

Parliament’s spokesperson, Fu Ying, said yesterday defence spending for this year would rise about 7 per cent, accounting for about 1.3 per cent of gross domestic product – the same level as the last few years. However, the actual defence spending target for this year was not included in the country’s budget released at the opening of parliament’s annual session on Sunday, as it has been in previous years.

Growing protectionist tendencies and rising conservative nationalism have raised deep concern in a global scenario with a deterioration of multilateral security mechanisms since World War II, a leading Brazilian analyst said Saturday. Luiz Fernando Horta, a historian and expert of international relations at the University of Brasilia , told Xinhua in an interview.

It takes China’s premier 90 minutes to deliver his government work report, but you can cut to the chase in far less time Chinese Premier Li Keqiang is likely to put stability above all policy goals when he presents his annual report on Sunday, ahead of the once-every-five-years reshuffle of the Communist Party leadership late this year. Li’s government work report will give the outside world Beijing’s assessment of the country’s economy and its foreign and defence priorities – which are particularly uncertain this year with the new US administration of Donald Trump, European national elections and Britain’s looming exit from the EU.