STI rides trade optimism ahead of tariff hike

MOST Asian markets continued to cruise upwards on Friday, following news that the US and China may resume trade talks even as the US readies another round of tariffs to take effect this weekend.

Markets in Australia, New Zealand, Japan, Malaysia and South Korea closed higher, most of them adding between 1 and 2 per cent each.

However, investors in China were less optimistic in the lead-up to the new tariffs. The Shanghai Composite Index closed down 0.2 per cent, while the smaller Shenzhen index fell 0.7 per cent.