Financial markets across the Asia-Pacific region climbed on Friday after the White House said President Donald Trump is scheduled to meet China’s Xi Jinping next Thursday following remarks at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation CEO Summit. U.S. Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said Trump will depart for Malaysia late Friday and then travel to Japan and South Korea before the bilateral talks, a travel itinerary that added clarity to an already closely watched international trip.

The advance in regional equity markets followed a positive session in the United States, where the three major indexes closed higher. The S&P 500 rose 0.58% to 6,738.44, led by gains in technology shares after a wave of better-than-expected corporate earnings. That momentum carried into Asia: futures on Hong Kong’s Hang Seng Index were trading at 26,139, up from the index’s previous close of 25,967.98 — an increase of roughly 171 points, or about 0.66% — pointing to a firmer open for the city’s market.

Investors interpreted the White House announcement as a reduction in headline risk. Markets routinely price geopolitical uncertainty into asset valuations, and the prospect of face-to-face talks between the leaders of the world’s two largest economies typically lowers the risk premium assigned to cross-border trade and investment. Analysts said the timing — immediately after an APEC CEO address — increases the likelihood that business and policy messaging will shape market expectations in the near term.

Earnings were another proximate driver of Friday’s gains. Tech companies, which carry significant weight in major U.S. indexes, posted results that beat revenue and profit expectations, prompting reappraisals of growth prospects and lifting sentiment among global investors focused on cyclical and growth-sensitive assets.

The broader market reaction also reflects the central role of diplomatic signaling in modern financial markets. A high-profile meeting between Trump and Xi could influence areas ranging from tariffs and supply-chain measures to technology restrictions, all of which have tangible implications for corporate revenue forecasts and capital expenditure plans. Portfolio managers told market-moving announcements such as this often prompt short-term repositioning: increases in equities perceived as most sensitive to bilateral cooperation and cautious trimming of assets seen as hedges against geopolitical deterioration.

While the announcement provided a clear, short-term catalyst for markets, strategists cautioned that the substantive economic impact will depend on outcomes and follow-through from any discussions. Past summits have sometimes yielded limited concrete policy changes, and markets will closely monitor any statements, joint communiqués, or subsequent policy actions that indicate shifts in trade or regulatory stances. For now, investors have rewarded the removal of uncertainty with modest gains, underscoring how leadership-level diplomacy remains a central input into asset-pricing in an interconnected global economy.