Asian equities posted modest gains, led by tech and chip stocks, while Chinese indices fell about 0.8% ahead of the Trump‑Xi summit.
Alibaba surged ~5% after announcing increased AI spending over the next three years, offsetting its weak Q4 earnings.
Regional markets were buoyed by a 0.1% rise in S&P 500 futures and Wall Street’s record highs in tech.
Investors remained cautious over Iran‑war inflationary pressures and high oil prices, which kept overall gains limited.