China’s April lending data points to persistently weak borrowing demand among households and businesses, despite a relatively loose monetary policy and strong industrial activity and profits.Banks extended a total of 8.59 trillion yuan (US$1.26 trillion) in new yuan loans in the first four months of this year, with lending barely rising in April, according to data released by the People’s Bank of China (PBOC) on Thursday.AdvertisementThe rare monthly fall in April – only the second in the past decade – comes as household and corporate appetite for debt remains at historic lows.Data released by the Beijing-based think tank National Institution…