But the interest goes beyond internet companies and smartphone makers. Investors are betting robotics makers will benefit from the heightened tech rivalry with the US as China increasingly turns to homegrown companies in the pursuit of self-reliance.

Asian equities were mostly higher overnight as Mainland China and Hong Kong outperformed and Indonesia and Thailand underperformed.

Hong Kong-listed Chinese technology stocks surged as optimism over artificial intelligence (AI) advancements from companies like DeepSeek and Alibaba (NYSE:BABA) overshadowed concerns about new U.S. tariffs.

HONG KONG: China and Hong Kong stocks advanced on Thursday, driven by the tech sector, as investors continued to bet on domestic artificial intelligence firms following Chinese AI start-up DeepSeek’s breakthrough.

The Hang Seng Tech Index, which tracks the 30 largest technology companies listed in the city, rose as much as 2.9% on Friday, reflecting a rise of more than 20% from its January low.

Chinese technology stocks trading in Hong Kong appear poised to enter a bull market after AI models released by DeepSeek sparked renewed interest in China’s technology firms. Xiaomi’s Hong Kong stock was up 5.

Beijing’s growing clout in the artificial intelligence space has sparked a wave of optimism toward Chinese tech shares, with a gauge approaching a technical bull market and brokers issuing upbeat calls.

The Hang Seng Tech Index gained 2.5% on Friday, with a total increase of more than 20% since January. It appears that DeepSeek’s hype has erased concerns of trade wars among Chinese investors, due to which China’s tech stocks in Hong Kong continue to surge.