Asia-Pacific markets traded mixed on Thursday, following signals from Washington indicating a softer stance toward Beijing overnight.
By 11:10 am AEST (1:10 am GMT), Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 had risen 0.4%, while Japan’s Nikkei 225 gained 1%.
However, South Korea’s Kospi 200 bucked the regional trend, slipping 0.4% after advance GDP figures showed the economy contracted by 0.2% in the first quarter of 2025, missing expectations of a slight gain.
The upbeat tone followed a strong session on Wall Street. The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 1.1%, while the S&P 500 climbed 1.7% and the Nasdaq Composite surged 2.5%.
The rally came after Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent hinted at a possible recalibration of tariffs on Chinese imports, suggesting a move away from the current 145% rate towards a more sustainable range.
Meanwhile, Chinese equities were mixed. The Shanghai Composite edged 0.1% lower to 3,296.4, while the blue-chip CSI 300 inched 0.1% higher to 3,786.9.
Hong Kong’s Hang Seng Index led regional gains with a jump of 2.4% to 22,072.6.
India’s BSE Sensex added 0.7%, climbing to a four-month high of 80,116.5.
European markets also traded higher. The UK’s FTSE 100 rose 0.9% to 8,403.2, Germany’s DAX jumped 3.1% to 21,962.0, and France’s CAC 40 added 2.1% to 7,482.4.
