Asia markets set to open lower as investors watch U.S.-China talks in Spain

Asia-Pacific markets were set to open lower as investors kept an eye on the talks between the U.S. and China in Spain, and await a slate of data from Beijing.

U.S. and Chinese officials began talks in Madrid Sunday to discuss key national security, economic, and trade issues, including the upcoming deadline to divest Chinese short video app TikTok and U.S. tariffs.

Delegations led by U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer met with their counterparts, Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng and China’s top trade negotiator, Li Chenggang.

Meanwhile, China is expected to release data on retail sales, fixed asset investment and urban unemployment rate later in the day.

Hong Kong’s Hang Seng Index