Hong Kong's stock market ended higher Friday with the benchmark Hang Seng Index up 1.43 percent to close at 25,417.98 points.
The Hang Seng China Enterprises Index gained 1.34 percent to finish at 9,057.22 points, while the Hang Seng Tech Index advanced 1.95 percent to 5,687.45 points.
In Japan, the benchmark Nikkei 225 rose 438.48 points, or 1.03 percent, to close at 43,018.75 points.
Timothy Pope, a market analyst, recapped stock markets' performance of Hong Kong and Japan on Friday.
"The Hang Seng was up 1.4 percent. Gains there were in pretty much every sector. We saw top performers were Chinese solar stocks and the semiconductor giant SMIC was gaining very strongly on the Hang Seng and Chinese biopharma stocks as well. The trajectory in Hong Kong this week has been quite similar to the Chinese Mainland, and today the vast bulk of Hang Seng stocks gained ground. Only a handful of those were falling and that enabled the index to claw back most of the week's losses. It ends Friday, only fractionally lower for the week," he said.
Turning to the Japanese market, he noted: "A lot of the buoyancy we saw on the Japanese market today came from Donald Trump's latest executive order. The US president has lowered tariffs on some Japanese exports, including autos. And while 'Trump changes his mind on tariffs' is a headline that's going to shock nobody. This is a big change for the Japanese economy. It is a meaningful change, definitely one that's going to be welcomed by investors. We saw some solid gains for the likes of Toyota and Honda today. In fact, Toyota was up about 2 percent. The Nikkei's heavyweight chip stocks were also rising. And there are predictions now floating around that the Nikkei will crack 44 thousand points next week."
Analyst recaps Asian stock markets' performance on Friday
China and Germany, as major countries, should shoulder their responsibilities, uphold mutual respect, transcend differences in social systems, historical backgrounds and cultures, and build a more mature model of positive interaction and a more stable bilateral policy framework, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said on Monday in Beijing.
Wang, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, told German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul that it is hoped that Germany will view China's development as an opportunity for deeper cooperation and a driving force for mutual benefit and win-win outcomes, and work together to promote the steady and healthy development of the China-Germany all-round strategic partnership.
Noting that this is the first visit to China by a German foreign minister since the formation of Germany's new government -- though the visit has encountered twists and turns -- Wang quoted a Chinese saying: "Good things come to those who wait." He emphasized that "the timing is not the key; what truly matters is the purpose. The visit should be for cooperation, not confrontation; for enhancing mutual understanding and trust, not widening differences."
Wang further urged Germany to encourage the EU to return to a rational and pragmatic China policy, adhere to the correct direction of mutually beneficial cooperation, resolve differences through dialogue, and avoid politicizing economic issues, instrumentalizing trade issues, or securitizing normal cooperation.
Wang emphasized that the one-China principle serves as an important political foundation for China-Germany relations, and there is no room for ambiguity. He further noted that unlike Germany, Japan has yet to conduct a thorough reflection on its history of aggression in the eight decades since the end of WWII.
Wadephul said that in the face of a turbulent global landscape, Germany and China need to shoulder special responsibilities, strengthen communication and coordination, and become reliable and predictable partners for each other.
He said that Germany remains firmly committed to the one-China policy, and this position is unwavering.
German enterprises in China have full confidence in the Chinese market and are willing to further deepen their presence in the country, Wadephul said, adding that Germany supports the EU and China in seeking mutual benefit and win-win outcomes through dialogue and stands ready to play a constructive role in this regard.
The two sides also exchanged views on the Ukraine crisis. Wadephul elaborated on Germany's position and expressed hope that China would leverage its influence to help bring about an early end to the crisis.
Wang reaffirmed China's consistent stance, emphasizing that all parties should cherish the current momentum for a political settlement, work towards the same goal, and ultimately reach a fair, durable and binding peace agreement through dialogue and negotiations.
China supports all efforts conducive to peace and will continue to play a constructive role in this regard, Wang added.
Chinese FM calls on China, Germany to shoulder responsibilities as major countries for more stable bilateral policy framework
