Asia-Pacific Markets Show Mixed Responses to Trump's Latest Moves

Following United States President Donald Trump's recent executive orders to accelerate artificial intelligence (AI) development and his stark warnings on trade tariffs, major stock market indexes in the Asia-Pacific region presented a mixed performance on Thursday.

Trump's Dual Strategy: AI Development and Trade Warnings

President Trump has taken significant steps to bolster AI training in the U.S., signing executive orders aimed at pushing the country to the forefront of AI innovation. Concurrently, he issued a stark warning to countries, including China, about the potential for the U.S. to unilaterally set tariff prices if mutually beneficial trade deals are not reached.

Market Reactions Across the Asia-Pacific

Japan's Nikkei 225 saw a modest increase, while South Korea's Kospi experienced a slight decline. Australia's S&P/ASX 200 showed notable growth. In contrast, mainland China's Shenzhen Composite dropped significantly, and the Shanghai Composite remained unchanged. Hong Kong's Hang Seng also faced a substantial decrease.