**Tokyo/Beijing/Washington — ** Global financial markets rallied on Monday as optimism grew over an imminent trade agreement between the United States and China. President Donald Trump, who arrived in Tokyo ahead of his meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping, said negotiations were “in the final phase.”
Japan’s Nikkei 225 surged past the 50,000 mark for the first time, while the MSCI Asia-Pacific Index hit a record high. Traders cited renewed hopes of tariff relief and better access to critical minerals as key drivers.
Analysts said a breakthrough deal could reset global supply chains and improve investor sentiment across emerging markets. “A stable U.S.–China relationship would be the single biggest catalyst for trade recovery,” said economist Hiroshi Tanaka of Nomura Holdings.
