Asian stocks rise as China-US trade talks boost optimism
A person looks at an electronic stock board showing Japan’s Nikkei 225 index at a securities firm in Tokyo. (AP Photo/Eugene Hoshiko, File)
HONG KONG, China — Asian equities rose Wednesday after China and the United States said they would hold trade talks at the weekend, fanning optimism that the superpowers can row back eye-watering tariffs that have raised recession fears.
Beijing’s moves to ease some key monetary policy tools to kickstart the world’s number two economy boosted hope among investors who have been left punch drunk by Donald Trump’s explosive first few months in power.
US officials said Washington has been in talks in recent weeks with numerous countries to avoid Trump’s sweeping levies, with Japan and South Korea among the first in the queue.
But there has been no sign of engagement with China, save for a few US remarks that discussions were taking place.
READ: US, China clash as Trump set to unleash more tariffs
However, after US markets closed both countries announced that top representatives would hold negotiations this weekend in Switzerland, the first since Trump’s “Liberation Day” tariffs unveiling on April 2.
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent told Fox News that he and US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer will meet Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng to lay the groundwork for future negotiations.
De-escalation of trade war
“We will agree what we’re going to talk about. My sense is that this will be about de-escalation, not about the big trade deal,” Bessent told “The Ingraham Angle” show.
“We’ve got to de-escalate before we can move forward.”
China’s commerce ministry vowed the country would “defend justice” and stand by its principles during the talks, adding that Washington “must face up to the serious negative impact of unilateral tariff measures on itself and the world”.
It also warned: “If the US talks in one way and acts in another, or even attempts to continue to coerce and blackmail China under the guise of talks, China will never agree.”
Trump has imposed new tariffs totaling 145 percent on goods from China, with some sector-specific measures stacked on top, while Beijing retaliated with 125 levies on US imports to China, along with more targeted measures.
Market relief
News of the talks was met with excitement on stock markets, with Hong Kong rallying more than one percent and Shanghai not far behind. Sydney, Seoul, Wellington, Manila and Jakarta also rose.
“Just as everyone’s throwing in the towel—calling end-of-days on the ‘Trump Trade War’ — the White House quietly unleashes a ‘trade deal’ teaser to yank markets off the cliff,” said Stephen Innes of SPI Asset Management.
“Traders who’d battened down the hatches are now scrambling to hoist sails, chasing any whiff of tariff relief like it’s pure alpha.”
Investors were also cheered by Beijing’s decision to cut a key interest rate and lower the amount of cash banks must keep in reserve — a move aimed at boosting lending — in their latest bid to reignite the stuttering economy.
The People’s Bank of China also said it would cut the rate for first-time home purchases with loan terms over five years as it continues to grapple with a property sector crisis that has hammered economic growth.
Traders are also keeping an eye on the open in Mumbai after India and Pakistan exchanged heavy artillery along their contested frontier Wednesday, after New Delhi launched missile strikes on its neighbor in a major escalation between the nuclear-armed neighbors.
And in Washington the Federal Reserve is expected to hold interest rates again later Wednesday, though traders will be keeping a close eye on its post-meeting statement for an idea about its plans in light of Trump’s tariffs and his pressure to make more cuts.
Key figures at around 0230 GMT
Tokyo – Nikkei 225: DOWN 0.1 percent at 36,813.78 (break)
Hong Kong – Hang Seng Index: UP 1.4 percent at 22,971.78
Shanghai – Composite: UP 0.7 percent at 3,338.08
Euro/dollar: DOWN at $1.1337 from $1.1373 on Tuesday
Pound/dollar: DOWN at $1.3345 from $1.3370
Dollar/yen: UP at 143.06 yen from 142.44
Euro/pound: DOWN at 84.95 pence from 85.04
West Texas Intermediate: UP 0.8 percent at $59.56 per barrel
Brent North Sea Crude: UP 0.6 percent at $62.54 per barrel
New York – Dow: DOWN 1.0 percent at 40,829.00 (close)
London – FTSE 100: FLAT at 8,597.42 (close)
