Asian markets opened the new week mostly higher on Monday, 21 September, with technology shares leading gains as investors responded to positive signals from US-China talks and looked ahead to a meeting between US President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping later this week.
Technology leads the region
South Korea was among the strongest markets in early trading. The Kospi opened higher and later extended its advance to around 1.8%, with Samsung Electronics gaining strongly and SK Hynix also moving higher. Taiwan’s Taiex advanced about 1.1%, supported by continued demand for semiconductor and AI-related stocks.
The broader MSCI Asia-Pacific index excluding Japan gained around 0.9%, reflecting a generally positive start across the region. Japan provided no direction on Monday, with the Tokyo market closed for a national holiday.
China and Hong Kong move higher
Mainland Chinese markets also opened positively. The Shanghai Composite started around 0.2% higher and strengthened as trading progressed, while technology-focused indices recorded larger gains. By the midday break, Shanghai was approximately 0.6% higher.
Hong Kong’s Hang Seng opened almost unchanged at 24,748 before reversing direction. It later traded around 0.6% higher as technology and property shares helped support the market.
US-China talks support sentiment
Investors were encouraged by comments following weekend discussions between US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng. Attention is now turning towards the expected Trump-Xi meeting in Washington later this week, where trade, technology and artificial intelligence are expected to feature prominently.
Oil prices also eased, reducing some immediate inflation concerns for energy-importing Asian economies, although geopolitical tensions in the Middle East remain an important risk.
Monday’s opening therefore points to a cautiously positive start to the week: technology remains the principal driver, China-US relations are back at the centre of market attention, and investors continue to balance stronger equity sentiment against elevated geopolitical and interest-rate risks.
Newshub Editorial in Asia – 21 September 2026
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