SHANGHAI -- The balance of loans in Chinese yuan in the Yangtze River Delta region was 51.8 trillion yuan ($7.7 trillion) at the end of April, up 13.9 percent year on year, new data showed.

The amount rose by about 130 billion yuan from the end of March, according to the People's Bank of China Shanghai Head Office.

The balance of loans in yuan and other currencies stood at 53.13 trillion yuan at the end of April, up 14 percent year on year.

Shanghai and the provinces of Jiangsu, Zhejiang and Anhui are under the ambit of the Yangtze River Delta region.