Asian equities posted modest gains, led by technology stocks, while Chinese indices slipped 0.7‑0.8% ahead of the Trump‑Xi summit.
Alibaba shares surged 5% (total +3.84% in Hong Kong) after announcing increased AI spending over the next three years despite weak Q4 earnings.
South Korea, Japan and Hong Kong indices rose 0.2‑0.7%, whereas Australia’s ASX fell 0.1% amid Iran‑war inflation concerns.
S&P 500 futures rose 0.1% in Asian trade; oil prices stayed high due to Iran‑war supply disruptions.