Asian markets rallied Monday after
China and the US said they were close to agreeing a mini trade deal, but the pound extended losses on fresh
Brexit uncertainty while EU leaders consider extending a deadline for
Britain to leave the bloc.
Investors tracked a strong lead from Wall Street, where the S&P 500 flirted with another record, after the US Trade Representative's office said the top-level negotiators had held talks Friday and were "close to finalising" an agreement.
Hong Kong rallied 0.7 percent in early trade and Shanghai was up 0.3 percent with gains tempered by data showing a drop in profits for China's industrial giants last month.