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Market Chatter: Trump, Xi to Meet Friday For Second Day of Talks

U.S. President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping are set for a second day of talks on Friday in Beijing, Reuters reported the same day.The second meeting comes after Xi warned that mishandling the Taiwan issue could lead U.S.-China relations to "a very dangerous place."Trump and Xi are expected to have tea and lunch before the U.S. president departs for the U.S., the report said.There was no trade breakthrough during the two leaders' summit on Thursday, according to reports.(Market Chatter news is derived from conversations with market professionals globally. This information is believed to be from reliable sources but may include rumor and speculation. Accuracy is not guaranteed.)

China's Aviation Regulator Creates Low-Altitude Safety Unit

The Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) has launched a low-altitude safety department to oversee development plans, coordinate safety protocols and build flight service platforms for the emerging sector.The low-altitude economy covers activities under 1,000 meters, Xinhua News reported Wednesday.The CAAC forecasts the low-altitude economy could surpass 3.5 trillion yuan by 2035.

China's Railway Investment Rises 3.2% in January-April

China State Railway Group reported 200.8 billion yuan in fixed-asset investment for the first four months of 2026, up 3.2% from the previous year, Xinhua News reported Wednesday..The operator pledged to accelerate delivery of major rail projects under the 15th Five-Year Plan.

Market Chatter: Chinese Supertanker Passes Through Hormuz Strait

Chinese supertanker Yuan Hua Hu passed through the Strait of Hormuz on Wednesday, sailing toward a U.S. blockade, Bloomberg News reported Wednesday.The 2-million-barrel vessel, owned by COSCO Shipping (SHA:601919, HKG:1919) units, passed Iran's Larak island into the Gulf of Oman, according to the report. Fully loaded after lifting crude from Iraq's Basrah terminal in March, the ship signals Zhoushan, China as its destination.This is the third transit by a Chinese very large crude carrier since the war began, Bloomberg wrote.Shares of COSCO Shipping rose 1% on the Shanghai bourse on Thursday and 2% on the Hong Kong bourse.(Market Chatter news is derived from conversations with market professionals globally. This information is believed to be from reliable sources but may include rumor and speculation. Accuracy is not guaranteed.)

Beijing-Washington Summit, Earnings Roil Asian Stock Markets

Asian stock markets wobbled in mixed trading Thursday, as investors monitored the ongoing summit between US President Donald Trump and Chinese Leader Xi Jinping, and evaluated earnings results.Shanghai and Tokyo finished in the red, Hong Kong was flat, but other regional exchanges gained ground. Seoul's KOSPI rose 1.8% to strike a fresh record zenith.In Japan, the Nikkei 225 opened evenly near an all-time high but declined in trading, finishing off 1% as traders mulled comments by a Bank of Japan official that interest rates should be raised "at the earliest stage possible."The benchmark Nikkei 225 fell 618.06 to 62,654.05, as losing issues outnumbered gainers 133 to 91.Leading the upside was Tokai Carbon, up 18.5%, while Fukikura declined 19.1%, with both moves following earnings releases.In Hong Kong, the Hang Seng Index opened higher but lagged and closed essentially flat after China's Xi Jinping told President Donald Trump that "if mishandled, the two countries could collide" over the Taiwan issue.The broad gauge Hang Seng finished flat at 26,389.04, as losing issues outnumbered gainers 45 to 42. The Hang Seng TECH Index lost 0.4% on the day, while the Mainland Properties Index added 0.1%.Leading the upside was Li Auto, gaining 4.3%, while JD Logistics declined 5.7%.On the mainland, the Shanghai Composite fell 1.5% to 4,177.92.On the other regional exchanges, the Taiwan TWSE inclined 0.9%; the Australian ASX 200 inclined 0.1%; the Singapore Straits Times Index fell 0.2%, and the Thai Set inclined 1.4%. In late trading in Mumbai, the Sensex was up 1.1%The MSCI All Country Asia Pacific Index rose 0.2% on the day.

China's Local Governments See Steady Fiscal Metrics in Q1, Fitch Says

Chinese local and regional governments (LRGs) saw stable fiscal metrics for the first quarter of 2026, Fitch Ratings said in a recent release.The LRGs' operating revenue expanded 2.1% year over year, supported by better tax and nontax revenue.Operating expenditure rose 2.3%, with interest expense, healthcare, social security, and employment spending serving as drivers.The rating agency forecast a modest drop in capital revenue for this year, following a 19.1% decline in the first quarter, amid dampened land demand and a policy aligning land supply with weak demand.The Middle East conflict could have potential impacts on the economy although positive signs including growth in the producer price index have emerged, Fitch said.Infrastructure investment should continue to grow in the second quarter, driven by accelerated special purpose bond issuance and central transfers from ultra-long special sovereign bonds.

Market Chatter: Elon Musk Looks to Accomplish 'Many Good Things' in China Trip

Tesla CEO Elon Musk is looking to "accomplish many good things" during U.S. President Donald Trump's visit to China this week, Reuters reported Thursday.Musk's remarks to reporters during his visit to China come as Chinese officials and the public seem to have a love-hate relationship with him and his products, the report said.Chinese regulators see him as a visionary, as his products, including his electric cars, align with Beijing's vision, but his products are also the subject of numerous customer complaints, according to the report.Musk's SpaceX and Starlink satellite internet also raised eyebrows from China's People's Liberation Army, according to Reuters.Musk joined the delegation of CEOs accompanying Trump to Beijing seeking to resolve issues with the Chinese government, the report said.(Market Chatter news is derived from conversations with market professionals globally. This information is believed to be from reliable sources but may include rumor and speculation. Accuracy is not guaranteed.)

China Stocks Fall as Investors Await Outcome of Trump-Xi Summit

Chinese stocks slid Thursday as investors await more developments from the meeting between Presidents Xi Jinping and Donald Trump in Beijing.The Shanghai Composite Index, the main gauge of Chinese stocks, lost 1.5%, or 64.65 points, to 4,177.92. The Shenzhen Component Index declined 2.1% or by 344.01 points to 15,745.74.While Trump was singing the praises of his Chinese counterpart, Xi was more stern, even cautioning Trump of his handling of Taiwan relations, the Associated Press reported Thursday.Xi said Washington should handle the Taiwan question with more care, or it could lead to "conflicts" that would put "the entire relationship in great jeopardy," Xinhua News Agency reported.During welcome remarks earlier, Xi called on Trump to "build a brighter future" together, as the two countries are "partners, not rivals," and said the meeting should open a new chapter in their bilateral relations.While the meeting is ongoing, investors largely forecast both leaders to keep trade tensions in the backseat to focus on artificial intelligence, Reuters reported."Investors aren't positioned for a positive surprise - meaning even a modest outcome could boost sentiment," the newswire quoted Syfe Group Head of Investments and Advisory Ritesh Ganeriwal.The renminbi edged up to a three-year high on Thursday after the People's Bank of China set the midpoint at 6.8401 yuan per dollar, the strongest since March 24, 2023, Reuters said."Beijing is adopting a wait-and-see mode, given the 'better than expected' first-quarter (economic) growth ... Beijing's focus for the summit is not on deliverables but on optics, aiming to project stability and predictability to both international and domestic audiences," Retuers quoted Macquarie (ASX:MQG) Chief China Economist Larry Hu as saying.In corporate news, BeOne Medicines (SHA:688235) plunged 4% during market close in Shanghai after the U.S. Food and Drug Administration granted accelerated approval to Beqalzi to treat a type of rare blood cancer.

Market Chatter: Nvidia's Huang Says US-China Meetings Were "Excellent"

Jensen Huang, Nvidia's chief executive officer, said the meetings between the U.S. and China "went excellent," according to a report on RTHK on Thursday.In a last-minute decision, Huang joined U.S. President Donald Trump's delegates to Beijing, which included Tesla's Elon Musk and Apple's Tim Cook, the report said.Huang also told state media CCTV he hoped the meeting between Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping would be able to boost bilateral ties, Reuters reported on the same day.Nvidia is currently unable to deliver its H200 chips to China, the report said.(Market Chatter news is derived from conversations with market professionals globally. This information is believed to be from reliable sources but may include rumor and speculation. Accuracy is not guaranteed.)

Xi Meets With U.S. Business Leaders

Chinese President Xi Jinping followed up the two-hour talk with U.S. President Donald Trump by meeting with American business leaders on Thursday, BBC News reported.Xi said China is open for more business, adding that American firms will find broader prospects in the country, according to the report.He noted that U.S. companies have been deeply involved in China's growth, with both sides benefiting, BBC wrote. Beijing, he said, welcomes stronger reciprocal cooperation.Trump brought with him a delegation of prominent U.S. executives, including leaders from Meta, Tesla, BlackRock, Illumina, Mastercard and Visa, during the summit.

US Reaffirms 'Clear, Full Support' for Taiwan, Government Spokesperson Says

The U.S. has reaffirmed its support for Taiwan, according to multiple media reports Thursday."The US side has repeatedly reaffirmed its clear and firm support for Taiwan," Cabinet spokesperson Michelle Lee was quoted by the AFP as saying to reporters.Chinese President Xi Jinping earlier said the question on Taiwan is the most important issue in bilateral relations with the U.S., according to a Xinhua report.Ahead of the US-China summit, China's Embassy in the U.S. outlined four "red lines" that it said "must not be challenged" during the bilateral talks. These include "the Taiwan question."China regards self-governing Taiwan as its province. The U.S. recognizes the government in Beijing but its domestic law requires providing weapons to Taiwan so it could defend itself, the AFP said.

Xi Calls for China-U.S. Partnership During Beijing Summit

Chinese President Xi Jinping on Thursday urged closer cooperation with the U.S. during talks with U.S. President Donald Trump in Beijing, saying the two countries should be partners rather than rivals, Xinhua News reported Thursday.Xi said both nations share more common interests than differences and should help each other succeed.He added that stable China-U.S. ties would benefit the world and expressed hope that 2026 would become a "historic, landmark year" in bilateral relations.

US-China Bilateral Talks Conclude After Two Hours

Xi Says US, China Could 'Come Into Conflict' if Taiwan Issue Mishandled

China, US Economic Teams Reach 'Positive Outcome,' Xi Says

Chinese President Xi Jinping said Beijing and Washington's economic teams reached a "generally balanced and positive outcome" during Wednesday's meeting, Xinhua News Agency reported Thursday.Xi made the remarks after welcoming U.S. President Donald Trump in Beijing.U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng met in South Korea on Wednesday, ahead of the high-stakes meeting on Thursday, the BBC reported."Facts have repeatedly proven that there are no winners in a trade war, and the essence of China-US economic and trade relations is mutual benefit and win-win cooperation," Xinhua quoted Xi as saying.

Trump Says Trade Teams Reach 'Positive Outcome' Wednesday, State Media Reports

Beijing Draws 'Red Lines' Ahead of Xi-Trump Summit

China's Embassy in the U.S. warned that certain issues are off the table in the high-stakes summit between U.S. President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping.The embassy outlined four "red lines" that it said "must not be challenged" during the bilateral talks, according to a post on X on Wednesday.These four areas include "the Taiwan question," democracy and human rights, paths and political systems and China's development right.Xi and Trump kicked off their talks Thursday morning following a welcome ceremony for Trump at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing.

Xi Calls for 'Brighter Future" for Relations with US

Chinese President Xi Jinping called on U.S. President Donald Trump to "build a brighter future" together during his opening remarks after welcoming Trump to Beijing on Thursday."The whole world is watching our meeting," the BBC quoted Xi as saying. "Can we, in the interest of our world, of our two peoples, and the future of humanity, build a brighter future for our bilateral relations?" Xi said.Xi told Trump their two countries are "partners, not rivals," and said the meeting should open a new chapter in their bilateral relations.

Market Chatter: China Calls Out EU For Proposed Investment Curbs

A Chinese diplomat said Beijing is "very disappointed" with Europe's plan to curb investment from China, according to a Reuters report on Wednesday.Chinese diplomat Qu Xun, China's commercial representative in Spain, made the statement during a panel discussion at an event at the IESE Business School in Madrid, the report said.The European Union proposed stricter laws on its control and ownership of critical industries' manufacturing and in restricting "high-risk" cybersecurity suppliers, especially those from China. The European Parliament is in the early stages of passing these laws, the media outlet said.(Market Chatter news is derived from conversations with market professionals globally. This information is believed to be from reliable sources but may include rumor and speculation. Accuracy is not guaranteed.)

Xi Calls For US-China to Be Partners, Not Rivals