Chinese mainland stocks closed higher Friday, with the benchmark Shanghai Composite Index up 0.33 percent to 4,136.16 points and the Shenzhen Component Index gaining 0.79 percent to 14,439.66 points.
The ChiNext Index, tracking growth enterprises, added 0.63 percent to 3,349.5 points, while combined turnover on the Shanghai and Shenzhen bourses climbed to 3.09 trillion yuan (about 441.88 billion U.S. dollars), up from 2.69 trillion yuan the previous trading day.
CGTN market analyst Timothy Pope said sentiment remains buoyant despite regulators' efforts to cool speculation, noting that authorities are seeking to discourage excessive borrowing while avoiding a sharp slowdown in trading activity.
"We saw the Chinese mainland markets manage to end the week a little bit higher. The Shanghai Composite Index added about a third of 1 percent today. But this week did see a couple of down days, and investors have been reacting to regulator and exchange efforts to try and cool down that rally, which really did gather pace since the start of 2026. This is quite a fine line that they're trying to walk here, discouraging too much speculation with borrowed money to avoid things getting overheated, while also trying not to throttle what is still very buoyant market sentiment. According to a note today from Morgan Stanley, it is working so far, the investment bank says that it sees some positive momentum continuing at least through the end of the first quarter of the year. And so far, there's no slowdown seen in money that has been switching over from bonds and into stocks and also out of bank term deposit accounts. Similarly, the big Chinese insurance funds are also continuing to pour money in, so the liquidity is still there," said Pope.
"Sector-wise materials stocks continue to shine, if you'll pardon the pun. Because those shiny metals are still proving investor favorites. Gold, silver and platinum producers are still big winners. All three metals continue to set fresh records today. We live in a time of geopolitical uncertainty and that has been really boosting precious metals prices globally and been good news for Chinese miners as well. Satellite stocks also continue to rise. These have been fairly consistent favorites among mainland investors since it emerged that a pretty new research institute in China had flagged some plans with the UN to launch a really stunning number of Chinese satellites this year. China Satellite Communications and China SpaceSat each rose around 10 percent today, but we saw AI stocks continued to lag. That has been a bit of a story of this week, as did banking stocks. Perhaps not surprising if folks are pulling their deposits to invest in stocks, as Morgan Stanley's analysts say," Pope said.
Chinese stocks close higher on buoyant market sentiment: analyst
China and Ukraine should stick to the right direction and maintain stable and healthy development in bilateral relations, said Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi on Friday in Munich.
Wang, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, made the remarks while meeting with Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha on the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference.
Noting that the international situation has undergone great changes, Wang said China stays committed to the principles of mutual respect, equality, mutual benefit and win-win cooperation, cherishes the traditional friendship between China and Ukraine, and continues to promote bilateral cooperation in various fields.
Wang said that China-Ukraine trade developed steadily last year, making China remain as Ukraine's largest trading partner and the largest source of imports. Besides, various meetings of the intergovernmental cooperation committees between the two countries were held successively, bringing benefits to both peoples.
China is willing to provide new humanitarian assistance to Ukraine, and hopes that the Ukrainian side will continue to ensure the safety of Chinese personnel and institutions in Ukraine, he said.
On the Ukraine crisis, Wang said it is gratifying to see that various dialogues have been intensively carried on recently. He stressed that China's position is consistent and has always followed the four principles put forward by Chinese President Xi Jinping, as China stays firm in its objective and just position, and actively promotes peace talks.
The four principles include that the sovereignty and territorial integrity of all countries should be respected, the purposes and principles of the UN Charter should be observed, the legitimate security concerns of all countries should be taken seriously, and all efforts conducive to a peaceful settlement of the crisis should be supported, according to China's Foreign Ministry.
China is willing to maintain communication with Ukraine and work with the international community to play a constructive role in the early political settlement of the crisis, Wang said.
For his part, Sybiha said that Ukraine and China enjoy a traditional friendship and are important strategic partners. He described China as a major country with significant international influence, saying that the Ukrainian side attaches great importance to developing relations with China, and there is huge potential for bilateral cooperation.
Ukraine adheres to the one-China principle and will take practical measures to safeguard the safety and legitimate rights and interests of Chinese citizens and enterprises in Ukraine, he added, saying that Ukraine appreciates China's consistent respect for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of all countries and its positive efforts to promote peace talks.
The war in Ukraine should come to an end, he noted, expressing hope that China would play an important role in achieving an early ceasefire and comprehensive peace.
China-Ukraine relations should maintain stable, healthy development: Chinese FM
