China has made significant progress in improving its business environment, according to a report released on Friday by the National Development and Reform Commission, the country's top economic planner.

China's Ministry of Finance said it has allocated 45.8 billion yuan ($6.3 billion) in 2026 to support preschool education, a 38% increase from a year earlier.

The Andes strain of hantavirus that recently triggered a deadly outbreak on a luxury cruise ship has no natural hosts within China, and no human infections have ever been reported in the country, the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention said on Friday.

The vessel that was attacked near the Strait of Hormuz on Monday was Marshall Islands-flagged with Chinese crew on board, and there are no reports of casualties so far, Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Lin Jian confirmed on Friday.

The results of a new survey released on Friday showed that most Cambodian people felt positively about China.

The sales revenue of China's consumption-related industries rose 14.3 percent year on year during the May Day holiday, reflecting a further release of consumption potential, value-added tax (VAT) invoice data showed Wednesday.

Two men in China were sentenced to prison for illegally obtaining and selling more than 900 million personal data records used in so-called "open-box" cyberbullying, the Supreme People's Court of China said.

The 48th ASEAN Summit officially kicked off on Friday in Cebu, with Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. calling on Southeast Asian nations to strengthen unity and cooperation amid rising geopolitical and economic uncertainty, particularly the ongoing crisis in the Middle East.

China is expanding spring and autumn school breaks nationwide as local governments seek to boost domestic tourism and encourage more family travel, according to media reports.

China's property market showed increased activity during the May Day holiday as several cities introduced fresh support measures aimed at boosting home purchases after a prolonged downturn.

Victory Day on May 9 commemorates the victory in the Soviet Union's Great Patriotic War, representing one of Russia's most significant, deeply revered national holidays. A military parade marking the 81st anniversary of the victory will be held on Red Square on Saturday.

ASEAN Summit kicked off in Cebu province of the Philippines on Friday, with energy security, food security, and the safety of ASEAN nationals worldwide as its main priorities.