Donald Trump unexpectedly held off tariffs on China on his first day back at the White House and did not single it out as a threat, raising the prospect of a rapprochement as both sides look to gain from each other rather than rain harm on an adversary.

Whether it is over TikTok, fentanyl or trade, Beijing might welcome a compromise to buy time to address its ailing economy and bolster its position globally.

The Chinese acupuncture strategy opposes the blunt force trauma strategy favoured by Trump and his China hawks. The US may be able to replace these supply factors, but it will take time. This will allow China to forge even further ahead in these critical digital areas.

Chinese officials and ordinary people are hopeful but on edge as Donald Trump returns to the White House, eager to avoid a repeat of the bruising trade war that drove a wedge between the economic superpowers during his first term.

Asian equities mostly rose Thursday, cheered by another tech-fuelled run-up on Wall Street after Donald Trump's huge AI investment announcement, as traders assessed the outlook for the next four years under the new president.

Trump advisor Elon Musk has longstanding business ties in China.

Nasdaq 100 E-Mini futures (NQH25) are trending up +0.82% this morning as optimism over more artificial intelligence spending under Donald Trump and strong quarterly results from Netflix boosted sentiment.

VIBE CHECK — A ban on TikTok in the United States took effect late Saturday night, but service wasn’t even suspended for a full day before it came back online. When the social media platform returned Sunday morning, it included a pop up message for users who opened the app: “As a result of President Trump’s efforts, TikTok is back in the U.S.!”

Han has used the visit to meet with members of the American business community, including Tesla CEO and close Trump associate Elon Musk, according to Chinese state agency Xinhua. Musk is widely thought to be seen by Beijing as more sympathetic to its interests than others in Trump’s orbit.

A rift has emerged within the Republican Party, largely centred on Elon Musk's influence. His support for the H-1B visa programme has drawn criticism from Trump's base, leading to tensions with key figures like Steve Bannon and Vivek Ramaswamy.