Asian stocks held firm on Friday as U.S. President Donald Trump's rhetoric kept investors' hopes up on a trade deal with China.
Trump said on Thursday that U.S.-China trade talks are "moving right along," striking an upbeat tone despite a lack of agreement over whether existing tariffs should be dropped as part of a deal.
Investors were hoping that the two sides will reach a compromise to at least avoid their worst fears - that the United States will go ahead with its final batch of tariffs on about $156 billion of Chinese exports.