One nationalist influencer called it “truly gratifying.” Another said he was laughing his head off. And a state-media editorial hailed the demise of what it called the “lie factory.”

The parent company of Voice of America, U.S. Agency for Global Media, oversees all nonmilitary, international broadcasting.

President Donald Trump's administration on Saturday put journalists at Voice of America and other US-funded broadcasters on leave, abruptly freezing decades-old outlets long seen as critical to countering Russian and Chinese information offensives.

SINGAPORE—China reported surprisingly robust economic activity to start the year, giving Beijing some wind at its back as it faces the prospect of increased tensions with President Trump’s second administration.

Beijing’s leaders are ordering fiscally strapped local governments to spend more to help workers, consumers and businesses.