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Asian Stocks Slide as Iran Tensions Escalate Despite Strong Weekly Gains 
Asian markets mostly rose on Wednesday, led by a rally in technology stocks following OpenAI’s announcement of a $500 billion AI infrastructure partnership in the U.S. Key players in the venture include Microsoft, NVIDIA, Oracle, and Japan’s SoftBank Group, which soared over 7%. The initiative, named "Stargate," boosted demand prospects for AI chips and data center infrastructure, driving gains in tech-heavy markets.
Japan’s Nikkei 225 gained 1.5%, with chipmakers Advantest, Tokyo Electron, and SK Hynix rising between 2.2% and 4%. Taiwan’s TSMC added over 2% in trade, while South Korea’s KOSPI climbed 0.6%. Broader optimism from Wall Street, where Netflix surged 10% after strong earnings, also lifted sentiment across the region.
Other Asian markets followed suit, with Australia’s ASX 200 up 0.4%, and India’s Nifty 50 futures signaling a mildly positive open despite a prior slump.
However, Chinese shares lagged after U.S. President Donald Trump reignited trade war concerns by threatening a 10% tariff on Chinese imports by February, citing issues such as fentanyl trafficking. The Shanghai Shenzhen CSI 300 and Shanghai Composite dropped 0.9% and 0.8%, respectively, while Hong Kong’s Hang Seng fell 1.3%.
Trump’s tariff remarks underscored lingering trade tensions, though the proposed 10% tariff is far below his earlier 60% threat. Markets remain cautious as China is expected to introduce new stimulus measures to counter U.S. trade challenges.
Investors are also eyeing the Bank of Japan’s upcoming meeting, where a potential interest rate hike could signal confidence in improving economic growth and inflation. The tech rally, combined with global market cues, continues to dominate sentiment in Asian markets.
