BEIJING - Chinese stocks closed higher on Friday as market sentiment improved on recovering economic activity across the country.

The benchmark Shanghai Composite Index rose 0.22 percent to close at 2,852.35 points, while the Shenzhen Component Index closed 0.87 percent higher at 10,746.08 points.

The combined turnover of the two bourses stood at 572.3 billion yuan (about US$80.3 billion), slightly retreating from 578.29 billion yuan the previous trading day.

Telecommunications and online tourism were among the biggest winners, while companies in the cement, securities and insurance sectors led the losses.

The ChiNext Index, China's NASDAQ-style board of growth enterprises, gained 1.54 percent to close at 2,086.67 points Friday.

Official data showed economic activity in the country continued to normalize as major indicators reported across-the-board improvements in recent months.

But with the global spread of the novel coronavirus, the recovery still faces many uncertainties and challenges, analysts warned.