Afp Business Asia

Global stock markets held largely steady on Tuesday as top US and Russian diplomats held their first since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. The talks, which excluded Europe and Ukraine, ended with Moscow and Washington agreeing to appoint teams to negotiate an end to the Ukraine war.”Donald Trump continues to be the dominant force for financial markets,” said Kathleen Brooks, research director at XTB.  “Trump has ripped up the playbook when it comes to dealing with Russia, and the markets are keeping the faith with the US President for now,” she added.In Europe, the main markets were mostly higher, with Frankfurt’s DAX index striking another all-time high as elections approach, with investors hoping a ruling coalition better able to act will emerge.Defence stocks mostly added to gains after having soared the previous day as European leaders held an informal summit to discuss Ukraine and signalled more financial and military support ahead. Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen said her government would announce plans later Wednesday for a “massive” rearming of Denmark’s military due to the growing threat posed by Russia.Wall Street opened mostly higher as traders came back from a three-day holiday weekend, with the S&P 500 falling just short of hitting a record high.”Fittingly, gains in the mega-cap stocks, and AI enthusiasm following xAI’s release of its Grok 3 model, are among the primary factors for the upside bias,” said Briefing.com analyst Patrick O’Hare.Shares in struggling chipmaker Intel rose more than six percent at the start of trading following reports that rivals Broadcom and TSMC could buy parts of its business.Over in Asia, Hong Kong’s stock market soared Tuesday, thanks to a recovery in Chinese tech stocks. That came after a meeting between President Xi Jinping and China’s top business leaders fanned hopes that a long-running crackdown on the private sector is coming to an end.Since taking the helm, Xi has strengthened the role of state enterprises in the world’s second-largest economy and waged crackdowns on some areas of the private sector.The drive has hammered some of the country’s biggest names in recent years, sending their share prices plummeting.Monday’s gathering provided some much-needed relief to investors and boosted hopes for a sector revival.”This was seen as a strong signal that his crackdown on the tech sector is over and with forthcoming pro-business policies to help revive the economy,” said National Australia Bank head of market economics Tapas Strickland.Chinese tech and e-commerce giant Alibaba rose more than two percent. Games developer XD Inc surged more than 10 percent, while Tencent added two percent.Shanghai’s stock market fared less well, while Tokyo gained.Sydney fell as the Reserve Bank of Australia announced its first interest rate cut since late 2020 but warned global uncertainties would make it hard for officials to follow up with any more anytime soon.- Key figures around 1430 GMT -New York – Dow: DOWN less than 0.1 percent at 44,513.12 pointsNew York – S&P 500: UP 0.1 percent at 6,122.62New York – Nasdaq Composite: UP 0.3 percent at 20,080.99London – FTSE 100: FLAT at 8,764.72 Paris – CAC 40: UP 0.2 percent at 8,202.31Frankfurt – DAX: UP 0.1 percent at 22,828.41Tokyo – Nikkei 225: UP 0.3 percent at 39,270.40 (close)Hong Kong – Hang Seng Index: UP 1.6 percent at 22,976.81 (close)Shanghai – Composite: DOWN 0.9 percent at 3,324.49 (close)Euro/dollar: DOWN at $1.0455 from $1.0483 on MondayPound/dollar: DOWN at $1.2608 from $1.2613Dollar/yen: UP at 151.76 from 151.41 yenEuro/pound: DOWN at 82.93 pence from 83.11 penceWest Texas Intermediate: UP 1.1 percent at $71.53 per barrelBrent North Sea Crude: UP 0.4 percent at $75.50 per barrelburs-rl/yad

Singapore will pour an additional $3.7 billion into upgrades at Changi airport, including a long-awaited fifth terminal, as the nation seeks to maintain its position as a top global aviation hub, its leader said Tuesday.Prime Minister Lawrence Wong announced the fresh infusion while presenting the city-state’s 2025 budget, which also included a wide range of cash incentives for locals ahead of elections later this year.Serving in a dual role as finance minister, Wong said part of the funds will be used to construct a fifth terminal at the airport, which saw around 67.7 million passengers pass through its gates last year.”When completed, Terminal 5 will expand our airport’s capacity by more than 50 percent and will ensure that Singapore remains a critical gateway for global travel and trade,” he said.The fresh top-up of Sg$5 billion (US$3.7 billion) to the Changi Airport Development Fund will “ensure sufficient resources to develop our air hub”, added Wong.Terminal 5 was first proposed in 2013 and construction is expected to go ahead later this year, following pandemic delays, officials said.The new terminal is expected to be operational in the mid-2030s.Singapore’s Changi has been consistently ranked as among the best airports in the world, but it has faced challenges from other hubs like Doha and Seoul.It is one of the largest transit hubs in Asia with more than 100 airlines operating from the airport. The government put Sg$3 billion in its airport development fund in 2015 when it was set up, adding Sg$1 billion in 2016, and Sg$2 billion in 2023, according to local media.- Budget giveaways -Also in Tuesday’s budget speech, his first as prime minister since taking over in May, Wong unveiled a raft of government handouts, including to help citizens cope with high living costs and upgrade jobs skills.The giveaways include Sg$800 worth of vouchers for every Singaporean household to be distributed from May — part of regular state disbursements.The budget items came ahead of general elections, which must be called before November.The People’s Action Party (PAP), which has ruled Singapore since 1959, is expected to face a tough challenge from a resurgent opposition, building on gains during the last polls in 2020.The PAP won 83 of the 93 seats at stake in that election, but the opposition Workers’ Party surprisingly captured an unprecedented 10 seats.Wong also said the government will put in an additional Sg$5 billion to a coastal and flood protection fund and another Sg$5 billion to a pool supporting clean energy.Singapore was also studying the potential of nuclear energy and would “take further steps to systematically build up our capabilities in this area”, the prime minister added.

Global stock markets traded mixed Tuesday as investors awaited the outcome of the first meeting between top US and Russian diplomats since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. The talks, which excluded Europe and Ukraine, have led to uncertainty in markets as traders mull the prospect of higher European defence spending.  “European markets are drifting lower in early trade, as markets start to show a degree of hesitancy for the outcome of today’s peace talks between the US and Russia,” said Joshua Mahony, chief market analyst at Scope Markets. Defence stocks soared the previous day as European leaders held an informal summit to discuss Ukraine and signalled more financial and military support ahead. “There is still a very good chance that defense budgets will rise in Europe in the coming years, however, for the European defense trade to take another leg higher, we may need to see significant progress in today’s talks,” said Kathleen Brooks, research director at XTB.  London’s FTSE 100 rose following data that showed UK wage growth accelerated and the employment rate was steady.Paris was flat and Frankfurt dipped from Monday’s record gains.Over in Asia, Hong Kong’s stock market soared Tuesday, thanks to a recovery in Chinese tech stocks. That came after a meeting between President Xi Jinping and China’s top business leaders fanned hopes that a long-running crackdown on the private sector is coming to an end.Since taking the helm, Xi has strengthened the role of state enterprises in the world’s second-largest economy and waged crackdowns on some areas of the private sector.The drive has hammered some of the country’s biggest names in recent years, sending their share prices plummeting.Monday’s gathering provided some much-needed relief to investors and boosted hopes for a sector revival.”This was seen as a strong signal that his crackdown on the tech sector is over and with forthcoming pro-business policies to help revive the economy,” said National Australia Bank head of market economics Tapas Strickland.Chinese tech and e-commerce giant Alibaba rose more than two percent. Games developer XD Inc surged more than 10 percent, while Tencent added two percent.Shanghai’s stock market fared less well, while Tokyo gained.Sydney fell as the Reserve Bank of Australia announced its first interest rate cut since late 2020 but warned global uncertainties would make it hard for officials to follow up with any more anytime soon.Wall Street was closed for a holiday on Monday.- Key figures around 1100 GMT -London – FTSE 100: UP 0.1 percent at 8,780.68 pointsParis – CAC 40: FLAT at 8,188.24Frankfurt – DAX: DOWN 0.1 percent at 22,770.80Tokyo – Nikkei 225: UP 0.3 percent at 39,270.40 (close)Hong Kong – Hang Seng Index: UP 1.6 percent at 22,976.81 (close)Shanghai – Composite: DOWN 0.9 percent at 3,324.49 (close)New York – Dow: Closed for a holidayEuro/dollar: DOWN at $1.0462 from $1.0483 on MondayPound/dollar: DOWN at $1.2601 from $1.2613Dollar/yen: UP at 151.80 from 151.41 yenEuro/pound: DOWN at 83.02 pence from 83.11 penceWest Texas Intermediate: UP 1.6 percent at $71.85 per barrelBrent North Sea Crude: UP 0.8 percent at $75.82 per barrel

Asian markets were mixed Tuesday with Hong Kong resuming its tech-led rally after a meeting between President Xi Jinping and China’s top business leaders fanned hopes that a long-running crackdown on the private sector is coming to an end.The Hang Seng Index’s gains extended an impressive start to the year, with the emergence of a new chatbot from Chinese startup DeepSeek stoking optimism in the country’s AI drive.The tech revival has also helped offset worries about the impact of US President Donald Trump’s hardball foreign policies and decision to impose sweeping tariffs on trade partners.Among the luminaries meeting Xi in Beijing were Alibaba co-founder Jack Ma, Huawei founder Ren Zhengfei and Wang Chuanfu, CEO of electric vehicle giant BYD.Since taking the helm, Xi has strengthened the role of state enterprises in the world’s second-largest economy and waged crackdowns on areas of the private sector undergoing “disorderly” expansion.The drive has hammered some of the country’s biggest names in recent years, sending their share prices plummeting.State news agency Xinhua reported that Xi had “stressed that the difficulties and challenges currently faced by the development of the private economy have generally appeared during the process of reform and development, and industrial transformation”.”They are partial rather than general, temporary rather than long-term, and surmountable rather than unsolvable,” Xi said, according to Xinhua.He added that Beijing was focused on removing obstacles to commerce, promoting fair competition, cracking down on arbitrary fines and protecting business interests.Monday’s gathering provided some much-needed relief to investors and fanned hopes for a sector revival.”This was seen as a strong signal that his crackdown on the tech sector is over and with forthcoming pro-business policies to help revive the economy,” said National Australia Bank head of market economics Tapas Strickland.Ma’s inclusion hinted at the billionaire magnate’s potential public rehabilitation after years out of the spotlight following a tangle with regulators.- Alibaba’s surge -Asian markets started the day fast out of the blocks, though they struggled to maintain momentum and some turned negative.Hong Kong pared an early flurry as traders took cash off the table after a strong run-up so far this year.Still, Alibaba rose more than two percent, and has now piled on more than 50 percent since the turn of the year. Games developer XD Inc surged more than 10 percent, while Tencent added two percent and NetEase nearly three percent.”As this tech-led rally continues, investors are left wondering: Can the upward momentum of Chinese tech stocks sustain as the flood of positive news subsides?” asked Pepperstone research analyst Dilin Wu.”Has the market reached an inflection point for a full-scale ‘Buy China’ strategy? And what risks lie ahead?”Tokyo, Singapore, Seoul, Taipei, Manila and Jakarta also rose with Frankfurt extending Monday’s record gains. London and Paris were also higher.However, there were losses in Shanghai, Wellington, Bangkok and Mumbai.Sydney fell as the Reserve Bank of Australia announced its first interest rate cut since late 2020 but warned global uncertainties would make it hard for officials to follow up with any more anytime soon.Wall Street was closed for a holiday.Meanwhile, Federal Reserve governor Christopher Waller suggested the US central bank could cut interest rates this year if inflation performs as it has in the past, pointing to last year’s spike in the winter followed by a quick easing.”If this wintertime lull in progress is temporary, as it was last year, then further policy easing will be appropriate,” he said in prepared remarks due to be delivered on Tuesday in Sydney.”But until that is clear, I favour holding the policy rate steady.”With prices showing signs of ticking back up in recent months, traders have scaled back their bets on how many reductions officials would make this year.”The data are not supporting a reduction in the policy rate at this time,” Waller said. “But if 2025 plays out like 2024, rate cuts would be appropriate at some point this year.”His remarks come amid fears that Trump’s plans to impose tariffs and slash taxes, regulations and immigration will reignite inflation.- Key figures around 0815 GMT -Tokyo – Nikkei 225: UP 0.3 percent at 39,270.40 (close)Hong Kong – Hang Seng Index: UP 1.6 percent at 22,976.81 (close)Shanghai – Composite: DOWN 0.9 percent at 3,324.49 (close)London – FTSE 100: UP 0.2 percent at 8,783.28 Euro/dollar: DOWN at $1.0465 from $1.0483 on MondayPound/dollar: UP at $1.2618 from $1.2613Dollar/yen: UP at 152.08 from 151.41 yenEuro/pound: DOWN at 82.94 pence from 83.11 penceWest Texas Intermediate: UP 0.8 percent at $71.33 per barrelBrent North Sea Crude: UP 0.1 percent at $75.31 per barrelNew York – Dow: Closed for a holiday

Electric vehicle maker Tesla has begun hiring in India, with the company of tycoon Elon Musk issuing advertisements days after US President Donald Trump’s right-hand man met with India’s premier.Tesla has more than a dozen job listings on its website, for both the capital New Delhi and economic hub Mumbai, including for a store manager and service technicians.The job listings were posted on the employment website LinkedIn on Monday.Tesla’s India push comes after Musk met one-on-one with Prime Minister Narenda Modi in Washington, raising questions over whether the world’s richest man was meeting the Indian leader in an official or business capacity.Musk has been seeking business opportunities in the world’s most populous nation, with media reports last year suggesting it was scouting for factory and showroom locations.Musk has also sought to open his satellite internet service Starlink in India, with communications minister Jyotiraditya Scindia in November saying the company would be allowed to operate if it complies with “security” regulations.The potential launch of Starlink — with its network of low Earth orbit satellites capable of providing internet to remote and disconnected locations — in the world’s most populous country has been accompanied by fierce policy debates and alleged national security concerns.Musk was due to visit India in 2024, following suggestions that he would announce major investment plans, but later cancelled the trip due to what he said were “very heavy Tesla obligations”.While India’s electric car market is small, it still represents a growth opportunity for Tesla which is battling increased Chinese competition and its first slump in annual EV sales.India has long had steep import taxes for electric vehicles — Musk once complained they were among the “highest in the world” — which had prevented Tesla from making inroads in the absence of local manufacturing.But India last year cut import taxes on electric vehicles for global automakers that committed to invest $500 million and start local production within three years.New Delhi had had offered quick tariff concessions ahead of Modi’s Washington visit, including slashing duties on high-end motorcycles — a boost to Harley-Davidson, the iconic US manufacturer whose struggles in India have irked Trump.India has also already accepted three US military flights carrying more than 300 migrants as part of Trump’s immigration crackdown.

Hong Kong resumed its tech-led rally on a healthy day for Asian markets Tuesday as a meeting between President Xi Jinping and China’s top business leaders fanned hopes that a years-long crackdown on the private sector is coming to an end.The Hang Seng Index’s gains extended an impressive start to the year, with the emergence of a new chatbot from Chinese startup DeepSeek stoking optimism in the country’s AI drive.The tech revival has also helped offset worries about the impact of US President Donald Trump’s hardball foreign policies and decision to impose sweeping tariffs on trade partners.Among the luminaries meeting Xi in Beijing were Alibaba co-founder Jack Ma, Huawei founder Ren Zhengfei and Wang Chuanfu, CEO of electric-vehicle giant BYD.Since taking the helm, Xi has strengthened the role of state enterprises in the world’s second-largest economy and waged crackdowns on areas of the private sector undergoing “disorderly” expansion.The drive has hammered some of the country’s biggest names in recent years, sending their share prices plummeting.State news agency Xinhua reported that Xi had “stressed that the difficulties and challenges currently faced by the development of the private economy have generally appeared during the process of reform and development, and industrial transformation”.”They are partial rather than general, temporary rather than long-term, and surmountable rather than unsolvable,” Xi said, according to Xinhua. He added that Beijing was focused on removing obstacles to commerce, promoting fair competition, cracking down on arbitrary fines and protecting business interests.Monday’s gathering provided some much-needed relief to investors and fanned hopes for a sector revival.”This was seen as a strong signal that his crackdown on the tech sector is over and with forthcoming pro-business policies to help revive the economy,” said National Australia Bank head of market economics Tapas Strickland.Ma’s inclusion hinted at the billionaire magnate’s potential public rehabilitation after years out of the spotlight following a tangle with regulators.Shares in Alibaba rose more than four percent Tuesday, and have now piled on more than 50 percent since the turn of the year. There were also healthy gains in other tech firms including Tencent, XD Inc and Netease.Shanghai, Tokyo, Singapore, Seoul, Taipei, Manila and Jakarta also rose.The advances came after a strong day in Europe, where Frankfurt hit a new record. Wall Street was closed for a public holiday.Meanwhile, Federal Reserve governor Christopher Waller suggested the bank could cut interest rates this year if inflation performs as it has in the past, pointing to last year’s spike in the winter followed by a quick easing.”If this wintertime lull in progress is temporary, as it was last year, then further policy easing will be appropriate,” he said in prepared remarks due to be delivered on Tuesday in Sydney.”But until that is clear, I favour holding the policy rate steady.”With prices showing signs of ticking back up in recent months, traders have scaled back their bets on how many reductions officials would make this year.”The data are not supporting a reduction in the policy rate at this time,” Waller said. “But if 2025 plays out like 2024, rate cuts would be appropriate at some point this year.”His remarks come amid fears that Trump’s plans to impose tariffs and slash taxes, regulations and immigration will reignite inflation.- Key figures around 0240 GMT -Tokyo – Nikkei 225: UP 0.3 percent at 39,296.11 (break)Hong Kong – Hang Seng Index: UP 1.7 percent at 23,001.87Shanghai – Composite: UP 0.2 percent at 3,359.80Euro/dollar: DOWN at $1.0465 from $1.0483 on MondayPound/dollar: DOWN at $1.2601 from $1.2613Dollar/yen: UP at 151.74 from 151.41 yenEuro/pound: DOWN at 83.06 pence from 83.11 penceWest Texas Intermediate: UP 0.6 percent at $71.19 per barrelBrent North Sea Crude: DOWN 0.1 percent at $75.13 per barrelNew York – Dow: Closed for a holidayLondon – FTSE 100: UP 0.4 percent at 8,768.01 (close)

European markets rose on Monday as defence stocks surged ahead of a meeting between European leaders to address Washington’s sudden policy shift on the war in Ukraine.US President Donald Trump sidelined Kyiv and its European backers last week by calling his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin to discuss beginning negotiations to end the conflict.With fears that Europe could be sidelined in negotiations to end the three-year war, European leaders were gathering in Paris amid talk of greater defence spending. London, Paris and Frankfurt stock markets all rose on Monday, with defence stocks driving most of the action.Britain’s BAE Systems was up nearly nine percent, topping London’s FTSE 100 index, while French defence group Thales rose 7.5 percent in Paris. Shares in German arms maker Rheinmetall jumped 14.3 percent on Frankfurt’s DAX index, which set a new record high.CMC Markets analyst Konstantin Oldenburger said the company’s stock faced a short squeeze, where investors who bet on it falling had to buy it to cover their losses, driving it higher still.”With today’s double-digit gain, the defence contractor has increased in value by nearly a third since last Wednesday,” he noted.Analysts were cautious, however, over the prospect of higher European defence spending and its economic consequences.”There is a fear that the breakdown in military ties between the US and Europe will necessitate a huge ramp-up in defence spending, thus pushing debt and borrowing costs higher once again,” said Joshua Mahony, chief market analyst at Scope markets. It adds to the uncertainty on trading floors since Trump returned to the Oval Office last month announcing a series of tariffs against key trading partners.While some of the measures have been delayed for negotiations, observers warn the imposition of huge levies on exports to the world’s biggest economy could deal a hefty blow to financial markets.Wall Street was closed for a public holiday.Asian equities ended Monday on a mixed note after a tepid lead from Wall Street.Hong Kong was barely moved after last week’s rally fuelled by a surge in tech firms following the release of Chinese startup DeepSeek’s chatbot.”DeepSeek proves that China’s private sector remains innovative and competitive, and it also shows the possibility for China’s continued AI advancement,” said analysts at Bank of America Global Research.Still, the mood in Hong Kong was improved by news that Chinese President Xi Jinping was meeting Alibaba co-founder Jack Ma and other top entrepreneurs.The gathering on Monday fuelled hopes of fresh support for the private sector, which has been hit by a series of crackdowns by the Chinese government in the past few years, hammering share prices.Ma’s inclusion hints at the billionaire magnate’s potential public rehabilitation after years out of the spotlight following a tangle with regulators.Other participants included Ren Zhengfei — the founder of tech titan Huawei — and Wang Chuanfu, who established electric vehicle giant BYD.Tokyo edged up as data showed the Japanese economy slowed sharply last year but enjoyed a forecast-topping final quarter thanks to strong exports.- Key figures around 1630 GMT -London – FTSE 100: UP 0.4 percent at 8,768.01 points (close)Paris – CAC 40: UP 0.1 percent at 8,189.13 (close)Frankfurt – DAX: UP 1.3 percent at 22,798.09 (close)Tokyo – Nikkei 225: UP 0.1 percent at 39,174.25 (close)Hong Kong – Hang Seng Index: FLAT at 22,616.23 (close)Shanghai – Composite: UP 0.3 percent at 3,355.83 (close)New York – Dow: Closed Monday for a public holidayEuro/dollar: DOWN at $1.0483 from $1.0495 on FridayPound/dollar: UP at $1.2613 from $1.2587Dollar/yen: DOWN at 151.41 from 152.25 yenEuro/pound: DOWN at 83.11 pence from 83.36 penceWest Texas Intermediate: UP 0.4 percent at $70.98 per barrelBrent North Sea Crude: UP 0.3 percent at $74.95 per barrelburs-rl/gil

Sri Lanka is banking on vehicle import taxes to boost revenue and revive the island nation’s battered economy, leftist President Anura Kumara Dissanayake’s maiden budget showed on Monday.Vehicle imports were banned in 2020 to save foreign exchange but the move deprived authorities of a lucrative revenue stream, as cars were taxed at about 300 percent. Dissanayake said the ban’s end would bolster state revenue to meet the tax target of 15 percent of GDP, which the country must achieve under the terms of an International Monetary Fund bailout agreement.”For the year 2025, the bulk of revenue gains is expected to be delivered by the liberalisation of motor vehicle imports,” the president told parliament.”This process is being carefully monitored to ensure that the import of vehicles does not result in undue negative impacts on external sector stability.”The budget also doubled the entrance fee of the island’s two casinos to $100 and raised the turnover tax on gaming establishments to 18 percent, up from 15 percent. The IMF wants Sri Lanka to double its income from taxation compared to the 7.3 percent of GDP it took in 2022, when the country defaulted on its $46 billion foreign debt.That year saw the island run out of foreign exchange to finance the import of food, fuel and other essentials, prompting months of street protests led to the toppling of then-president Gotabaya Rajapaksa.Sri Lanka secured a $2.9 billion four-year loan from the IMF the following year.Dissanayake, who was elected last year promising to end corruption and bring back stolen assets stashed abroad, said the economy was on the mend.”We should be in a comfortable position to service our foreign debts from 2028,” he said. He also announced a hefty 65 percent increase in the minimum wage to 40,000 rupees ($133) and raised subsidies for low-income earners.

Markets fluctuated on Monday as investors assessed the global economic outlook while US President Donald Trump pushes ahead with his trade war.Trading floors have been hit by uncertainty since Trump returned to the Oval Office last month announcing a series of tariffs against key trading partners.While some of the measures have been delayed for negotiations, observers warn the imposition of huge levies on exports to the world’s biggest economy could deal a hefty blow to financial markets.”Traders have been stuck in a game of ‘will he or won’t he’ on sweeping tariffs, with geopolitical allies and rivals alike in the crosshairs,” said Stephen Innes of SPI Asset Management.”The stock market’s initial reaction was caution, but as delays, carve-outs, and sabre-rattling mix into an increasingly muddled policy picture, the mood is shifting from calculated hedging to outright confusion.”He added that “tariffs remain one of the biggest risk factors for financial markets”.”For now, the only certainty is uncertainty.”After a tepid lead from Wall Street, Asian equities ended on a mixed note.Hong Kong was barely moved after last week’s rally fuelled by a surge in tech firms following the release of Chinese startup DeepSeek’s chatbot.”DeepSeek proves that China’s private sector remains innovative and competitive, and it also shows the possibility for China’s continued AI advancement,” said analysts at Bank of America Global Research.Still, the mood in Hong Kong was improved by news that Chinese President Xi Jinping was meeting Alibaba co-founder Jack Ma and other top entrepreneurs this week.The gathering fuelled hopes of fresh support for the private sector, which has been hit by a series of crackdowns by the government in the past few years, hammering share prices.Ma’s inclusion hints at the billionaire magnate’s potential public rehabilitation after years out of the spotlight following a tangle with regulators.Other participants included Ren Zhengfei — the founder of tech titan Huawei — and Wang Chuanfu, who established electric-vehicle giant BYD.Tokyo edged up as data showed the Japanese economy slowed sharply last year but enjoyed a forecast-topping final quarter thanks to strong exports.Shanghai, Seoul, Singapore, Taipei, Jakarta and Wellington rose, while Sydney, Mumbai, Bangkok and Manila slipped.London and Paris fell at the open while Frankfurt edged up.Investors are also keeping tabs on developments over the Ukraine war after Trump said on Sunday he could meet Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin “very soon”, adding he believed he genuinely wanted to stop the fighting.- Key figures around 0815 GMT -Tokyo – Nikkei 225: UP 0.1 percent at 39,174.25 (close)Hong Kong – Hang Seng Index: FLAT at 22,616.23 (close)Shanghai – Composite: UP 0.3 percent at 3,355.83 (close)London – FTSE 100: FLAT at 8,735.67Euro/dollar: DOWN at $1.0478 from $1.0495 on FridayPound/dollar: UP at $1.2590 from $1.2587Dollar/yen: DOWN at 151.80 from 152.25 yenEuro/pound: DOWN at 83.24 pence from 83.36 penceWest Texas Intermediate: DOWN 0.1 percent at $70.67 per barrelBrent North Sea Crude: DOWN 0.1 percent at $74.70 per barrelNew York – Dow: DOWN 0.4 percent at 44,546.08 (close)