Asian Markets Show Mixed Performance Asian stock markets delivered a mixed performance on Monday, with Japanese shares climbing, while Chinese stocks struggled amid continued uncertainty surrounding US-China trade negotiations. The positive momentum from Wall Street’s gains on Friday failed to carry through fully into Asian trading. Futures linked to major US indices were down on Monday, reflecting lingering concerns over international trade tensions. Toyota’s Gains Lift Japan’s Nikkei Japan’s Nikkei 225 rose 0.5%, and the TOPIX index jumped 1.1%, led by a strong performance from Toyota Motor. Shares in Toyota (TYO:7203) surged by 5.5% after the company revealed it was exploring a potential $42 billion buyout of its key supplier, Toyota Industries (OTC:TYIDF), a major producer of car parts and textile machinery. Other Japanese automakers also enjoyed gains: Nissan Motor shares rose 2.5%. Honda Motor shares advanced 1.2%. Investors are now looking ahead to the Bank of Japan’s policy meeting, scheduled for later this week. Markets expect the central bank to keep interest rates steady on 1 May, citing global uncertainty. US-China Trade Tensions Cloud Outlook Confusion reigns over the status of US-China trade talks. On Sunday, US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent contradicted President Donald Trump, stating he was unaware of any active discussions between Washington and Beijing. China has also publicly denied the existence of ongoing talks. The contradictory signals have left investors cautious, limiting movements across key Asian indices: Shanghai Composite: Flat Shanghai Shenzhen CSI 300: Unchanged Hang Seng Index (Hong Kong): Down 0.1% Markets are now eagerly awaiting China’s official and Caixin manufacturing activity data, due for release on Wednesday, which will provide fresh insights into the impact of tariffs on the manufacturing sector. Broader Regional Performance Elsewhere in Asia: South Korea’s KOSPI: Up 0.2% Thailand’s SET Index: Up 0.3% India’s Nifty 50 futures: Up 0.1% Australia’s S&P/ASX 200: Up 0.8% Singapore’s Straits Times Index: Down 0.5% The muted moves across the region highlight how fragile investor sentiment remains in the face of geopolitical uncertainty.