Most Asian markets up as Syria, trade fears subside

Most Asian markets up as Syria, trade fears subside, photo source: AFP

The US president on Wednesday sent shudders across trading floors when he warned "missiles will be coming" to Syria in response to an alleged chemical attack by the Russia-backed regime, fuelling fears of a stand-off between the major powers.

But he tempered the rhetoric a day later suggesting he might hold off on an imminent strike while he holds talks with France and Britain on how to deal with the crisis.

As investors digested the remarks, it emerged Trump had directed senior aides to explore rejoining the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP), which he left on becoming president, calling it a US jobs killer.

The U-turn came as he suggested the US and China might not eventually impose tariffs on each other's goods, despite recent tit-for-tat warnings over hundreds of billions of dollars of trade.

That followed Chinese President Xi Jinping's conciliatory speech this week promising to open up his country's economy.

The developments have provided a huge lift to markets, which were sent into turmoil when Trump last Friday threatened fresh tariffs on a vast array of Chinese imports, fanning fears of a trade war between the world's top two economic powers.

Trump also said Thursday the review of a trade pact with Canada and Mexico was "coming along great".

- 'Back from the brink' -

"Remarkable. That's the only thing I can really say in the past 36 hours or so about the change in tone that seems to be emanating from the president and the White House," said Greg McKenna, chief market strategist at AxiTrader.

"President Trump is walking back from the brink on so many fronts it's making my head spin," he added.

"It's becoming clear his tweets are part of an anchoring approach he uses in negotiations and then eases away from to achieve what he wants. It's working on many fronts and he's eased back on China and Russia/Syria this week and there was news last night he's even reconsidering the TPP."

All three main indexes in New York ended sharply higher.

Tokyo's Nikkei ended up 0.6 percent, while Hong Kong edged 0.1 percent up, Sydney gained 0.2 percent and Seoul added 0.5 percent. Singapore put on 0.9 percent, while Wellington and Taipei were also higher.

However, Shanghai finished 0.7 percent off.

The Hong Kong Monetary Authority, the city's de facto central bank, intervened in currency markets for the first time since 2005 as it looks to shore up the local dollar, which fell to 7.85 per US dollar, the weakest point of its trading band.

The move comes as masses of cash in the city's economy mean local interest rates have not been able to rise alongside those of the Federal Reserve. This has seen investors buy more US dollars to benefit from the better returns in the United States.

However, analysts said they expected further interventions as demand for the Hong Kong unit remained weak.

In Singapore, authorities effectively tightened monetary policy as the city-state's economy continues to improve and inflation picks up, though still at a moderate pace.

On oil markets, the easing of fears about a possible US strike in Syria saw prices slip, having rallied in recent days to highs not seen since the end of 2014.

In early European trade London rose 0.1 percent, Paris added 0.2 percent and Frankfurt gained 0.3 percent.

- Key figures around 0720 GMT -

Tokyo - Nikkei 225: UP 0.6 percent at 21,778.74 (close)

Hong Kong - Hang Seng: UP 0.1 percent at 30,854.18

Shanghai - Composite: DOWN 0.7 percent at 3,159.05 (close)

London - FTSE 100: UP 0.1 percent at 7,266.98

Euro/dollar: DOWN at $1.2325 from $1.2329 at 2100 GMT

Dollar/yen: UP at 107.56 yen from 107.26

Pound/dollar: UP at $1.4261 from $1.4230

Oil - West Texas Intermediate: DOWN 14 cents at $66.93 per barrel

Oil - Brent North Sea: DOWN 15 cents at $71.87 per barrel

New York - Dow: UP 1.2 percent at 24,483.05 (close)