China's manufacturing and services sectors expanded at a solid pace in May thanks to robust construction and infrastructure investment, welcome news for authorities trying to strike a balance between maintaining stable economic growth and defusing debt risks.

U.S. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis is expected to press for greater cooperation to contain North Korea's nuclear and missile threat at a regional security forum in Singapore later this week, where for years Washington has sought to spotlight China's expansion in the strategic South China Sea.

China is "strongly dissatisfied" with the mention of the East and South China Sea issues in a Group of Seven (G7) statement, and the G7 allies should stop making irresponsible remarks, a Chinese foreign ministry spokesman said.

Beijing strongly condemned Washington on Thursday over a US Navy warship sailing close to the Nansha Islands without permission, and warned that such action could damage the peace and stability of the South China Sea.

China is willing to work with the United States to realize balanced development of trade and investment, a research report by the Ministry of Commerce (MOC) said Thursday.

Freedom of navigation operation at disputed Mischief Reef is first under Trump

Hours after Moody’s Investors Service downgraded China’s credit rating, the nation’s finance ministry hit back with a statement on its website saying the rating agency overestimated the economic difficulties the country faces while underestimating Beijing’s capability in reforms.

Moody's Investors Services downgraded China's long-term local and foreign currency issuer ratings on Wednesday, citing expectations that the financial strength of the world's second-biggest economy would erode in the coming years.

China's total imports of North Korean goods in April fell below $100 million to a multi-year low, accelerating a months-long decline after China halted coal shipments from its isolated neighbor, data showed on Tuesday.

China expressed opposition to North Korea’s Sunday ballistic missile launch, amid growing concern in much of the world about leader Kim Jong-un's missile tests.