Hong Kong (AFP) – Asian markets were mixed on Thursday as traders eyed a high-stakes summit between US President Donald Trump and Chinese leader Xi Jinping, set to focus on AI, trade, and the Middle East war. Xi’s arrival in Washington coincided with US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent announcing that the superpowers had agreed to extend a trade truce by two months. The simmering trade war between the world’s top two economies is a key concern: while both sides have maintained a tariff truce for nearly a year, they have yet to secure a lasting agreement. The “economic detente” will now extend beyond its November 10 deadline to January 10, Bessent said.
But hopes of business deals have been dimmed by the fact that there are no Chinese CEOs in Xi’s delegation, two sources told AFP. In contrast, top US tech bosses, including the leaders of major AI companies, are set to attend Thursday’s banquet. Pre-summit talks between Bessent and his Chinese counterpart He Lifeng included discussion of creating a communication channel for AI concerns, as warnings swirled that the technology risks wiping out humanity. “Market participants are looking for signs of cooperation (however feigned) in managing the risks of AI without raising the regulatory risk to the space,” said Kyle Rodda, senior financial market analyst at Capital.com.
Oil prices cooled off on Thursday after jumping sharply as world leaders at the UN General Assembly offered little to suggest progress in ending the turmoil in the Middle East. The international benchmark, Brent crude, was down one percent in early Asian trade after soaring more than three percent the previous day. Hopes for a deal to get Gulf oil and gas flowing freely through the Strait of Hormuz as global leaders gathered in New York had sent oil prices down in recent sessions.
Hong Kong, Shanghai, and Taipei were in the red, while South Korea’s tech-heavy Kospi was closed for a holiday. Japan’s Nikkei was 1.6 percent up as it reopened after a three-day break. Tokyo’s gains came as the benchmark 10-year JGB yield rose to 3.055 percent, hitting a 30-year high, after US bond yields jumped. The benchmark US 10-year Treasury yield rose to 5.11 percent — its highest level since 2007. The US Federal Reserve lifted borrowing costs last week, providing relief to traders concerned that policymakers were not moving quickly enough to address a spike in inflation.
The Iran war will be also on the agenda at US-China talks in Washington, Trump confirmed, despite having earlier played down reports that Beijing was supplying Tehran with intelligence as the conflict drags on.
**Key figures at around 0215 GMT:**
– West Texas Intermediate: DOWN 0.2 percent at $91.99 per barrel
– Brent North Sea Crude: DOWN 0.4 percent at $102.66 per barrel
– Hong Kong – Hang Seng Index: DOWN 0.5 percent at 24,706.27
– Shanghai – Composite: DOWN 0.5 percent at 3,917.68
– Tokyo – Nikkei 225: UP 1.6 percent at 66,042.19
– Dollar/yen: DOWN at 157.93 from 158.29 on Wednesday
– Euro/dollar: DOWN at $1.1371 from $1.1385
– Pound/dollar: DOWN at $1.3227 from $1.3242
– Euro/pound: FLAT at 85.97 pence
© 2024 AFP
