China's benchmark stock index ends higher this week despite global tech sell-off: analyst

China's benchmark Shanghai Composite Index rose 1.3 percent this week to end a little bit lower than 4,000 points on Friday despite global tech sell-off, said a market analyst.

Chinese stocks closed lower Friday, with the benchmark Shanghai Composite Index down 0.25 percent to 3,997.56 points.

The Shenzhen Component Index closed 0.36 percent lower at 13,404.06 points.

Timothy Pope, a market analyst for China Global Television Network (CGTN), highlighted the trend behind the numbers in his recap of China's stock market performance.

"We had a choppy day of trade on the Chinese mainland markets today, but for most of the session, despite increased volume and turnover, the markets didn't really seem to go anywhere. The Shanghai Composite Index hung around above 4,000 points for quite a bit of the session before closing at 3,997, down a quarter of 1 percent, but ultimately the trading band was very narrow. The index has been able to shrug off a lot of the global market jitters this week surrounding tech stocks. I have now lost count of the number of articles I've read and podcasts I've listened to over the past two weeks asking if AI stock is a bubble that's about to burst and comparing it to the dot-com bubble. So, there's clearly some anxiety out there, but while investors did continue to take profits on tech stocks on the Chinese mainland it hasn't really put much of a roadblock in the way of the market as a whole. The Shanghai Composite Index ended the week 1.3 percent higher, while we saw a lot of other tech heavy indices around the world taking quite a hit," he said.

"The gains this week continued to come from materials and energy companies. Today's top percentage gainer was a bio-diesel producer Longyan ZhuoYue New Energy. It was up 20 percent, and the top contributor to gains was the old-school oil refiner PetroChina," he added.

"Investors today also had to digest the latest export numbers. They seemed to suggest buyers of Chinese products might be done front-loading purchases ahead of tariffs. But that's something we knew was coming, and the task now will be to broaden that domestic demand," he said.

China's benchmark stock index ends higher this week despite global tech sell-off: analyst

Booming spring blossoms in China have been drawing an increasing number of tourists to scenic spots across the country, helping boost revenues of local business operators.

At Weilai 3rd Road station, an iconic subway station of Line 11 of Wuhan City, capital of central China's Hubei Province, cherry blossoms have attracted large crowds of tourists.

"I came here specially to view the cherry blossoms, which are in full bloom and stunning. Even a casual snapshot produces a photo that resembles a springtime postcard," said Wang Bei, a tourist.

Cherry blossoms along a major street near a subway station have become a popular spot for visitors, with the city's suspended monorail serving as a striking backdrop.

Wuhan also has a cherry blossom-themed subway train adorned with cherry blossom patterns on its exterior.

In a garden in Huyi District of Xi'an City, capital of northwest China's Shannxi Province, tourists can admire nearly 40,000 tulip blossoms.

The garden's operation manager said peonies are a star attraction here, featuring more than 40 varieties and nearly 100,000 plants collected from across China.

"Currently, the tulips are in bloom. Next, peonies and herbaceous peonies will blossom. Our flower season will last until mid-May," said Wei Liang, operations manager of Aguquan Peony Garden.

At the Nanqiao Village of Ningde City in east China's Fujian Province, cherry blossoms have attracted increasing flows of tourists, who are also eager to climb mountains and relax themselves.

The scenic spot used to be barren mountains. After clusters of cherry blossoms were planted, the surge in tourists has boosted the development of businesses such as farm stays and homestays.

"Cherry blossoms are now in full bloom in Nanqiao Village. More and more visitors come here on weekends, and my barbecue business has boomed significantly," said Zhang Xiuying, a local barbeque shop owner.

This year, the cherry blossom season in Nanqiao will last until April and the village has received 30,000 tourist visits.

Spring blossoms help boost tourism revenue in China