Indian Border Security Force (BSF) soldiers stand guard at the entrance of the India-Pakistan Wagah border post, about 35kms from Amritsar on April 24, 2025. India took a raft of punitive diplomatic measures against Pakistan on April 23, accusing Islamabad of supporting “cross-border terrorism” after a deadly attack on civilians in Kashmir. (Photo by Narinder NANU / AFP) (Photo by NARINDER NANU/AFP via Getty Images)
Narinder Nanu | Afp | Getty Images
Asia-Pacific markets rose Monday after the White House announced a “trade deal” with China without providing specifics.
Both countries alluded to a positive conclusion of the high-stakes trade talks, with U.S. officials touting a deal to reduce its trade deficit, while Chinese leaders said that they have arrived at an “important consensus.”
U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent noted that the talks yielded “a great deal” of productivity. Meanwhile, Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng said a joint statement containing “good news for the world” would be released on Monday.
Indian stocks led gains in the region after a fragile ceasefire with Pakistan held over the weekend. The arch rivals were involved in intense firing — the worst in nearly three decades — with both sides exchanging fire with missiles and drones.
The benchmark Nifty 50 surged 2.29% at the open while the BSE Sensex gained 2.27%.
Hong Kong‘s Hang Seng Index pared early gains to 0.88%, while mainland China’s CSI 300 index increased 0.61%.
Japan’s benchmark Nikkei 225 fell 0.17% while the broader Topix index lost 0.21% in choppy trade.
In South Korea, the Kospi index rose 0.49% while the small-cap Kosdaq edged 0.12% higher.
Over in Australia, the benchmark S&P/ASX 200 increased 0.17%.
U.S. futures jumped as investors await further details on the trade deal between the U.S. and China.
This comes after declines in the three key benchmarks on Wall Street in last Friday’s session.
The 30-stock Dow Jones Industrial Average lost 119.07 points, or 0.29%, and settled at 41,249.38. Meanwhile, the broad-based S&P 500 inched down 0.07%, closing at 5,659.91, while the Nasdaq Composite ended the session little changed, ending at 17,928.92.
— CNBC’s Yun Li, Fred Imbert, Pia Singh and Brian Evans contributed to this report.
