03:36⇢Akazawa Appointed Japan's Chief Tariff Negotiator
⌨The newspapers report on Japan naming Economy Minister Ryosei Akazawa to lead tariff negotiations with the United States (Kyodo News English, Yahoo News Japan). This follows both countries appointing lead negotiators for talks related to Trump's tariff policies (Japan Times). Markets have responded positively, with the Nikkei average rebounding by 1,894 points, reaching 33,030 yen by midday trading (Nikkei Shimbun). Meanwhile, China has vowed to fight "to the end" against Trump's tariff ultimatum, with analysts noting Beijing is better prepared for this round of trade tensions (Nikkei Asia).