The widely expected rate cuts are aimed at stimulating consumption and loan growth as the world's Number 2 economy softens, while still protecting commercial lenders' shrinking profit margins.

Still, the size of the rate reductions was mild and reflected the incremental pace of monetary easing in recent years and what analysts interpreted as some wariness among policymakers for more aggressive steps while they navigate the trade war with the US.

The People's Bank of China said the one-year loan prime rate (LPR), a benchmark determined by banks, had been lowered by 10 basis points to 3.0% , while the five-year LPR was reduced by the same margin to 3.5%.

Most new and outstanding loans in China are based on the one-year LPR, while the five-year rate influences the pricing of mortgages. Both rates are now at the lowest level since China revamped the LPR mechanism in 2019.

--Reuters--