Tokyo stocks surge as Nikkei briefly reclaims 70,000 milestone in months

Tokyo stocks closed significantly higher on Monday, with the benchmark Nikkei index briefly breaching the 70,000 mark for the first time in months, buoyed by a Wall Street rally and easing fears of an imminent U.S. interest rate hike.

The 225-issue Nikkei Stock Average finished the session up 1,637.40 points, or 2.40 percent, to close at 69,946.86. The bullish momentum pushed the index past the 70,000 threshold during early trading, marking its first time above that level since early July.

The broader Topix index also posted solid gains, finishing the day up 54.22 points, or 1.33 percent, at 4,145.22.

China's 16th Arctic Ocean expedition is well underway, with the first-ever joint deployment of four vessels of ice breakers Xuelong and Xuelong 2, as well as research vessels Jidi and Tansuo 3, to enhance comprehensive environmental survey capability in the Arctic high seas.

The expedition is the first Arctic mission organized by China in 2026. With global warming intensifying and the Arctic temperatures rising by nearly four times the global average, investigations on the rapid and drastic changes in the Arctic natural environment carries global significance and international impact, and the four-ship formation allows more comprehensive research efforts covering multiple sectors.

"In previous years, we basically used one ship for expeditions. With four ships, the 16th expedition mainly covers ocean surveys, ice station surveys, and manned deep diving," said He Jianfeng, chief scientist of the expedition.

Because the atmosphere, sea ice and marine ecosystem feed back on one another, only synchronized, multi-sphere observations can capture the full picture of Arctic change. The multi-ship formation has greatly expanded the observation range in the Arctic Ocean, enabling simultaneous measurements at multiple positions to more precisely assess the underlying patterns of rapid Arctic climate change.

"The four-vessel deployment can greatly improve the breadth and depth of the overall survey. The entire Arctic Ocean is very vast. In the past, relying on a single ship, the surveyed area was relatively limited, and the parameters were also relatively limited," He said.

Xuelong and Xuelong 2 have so far completed their missions and returned to Shanghai, while Jidi and Tansuo 3 still remain on expedition and are expected to return in mid-October after a three-month mission.