America News Agency

Mainland China’s CSI 300 rose 2 percent in choppy trading, while Hong Kong’s Hang Seng index slipped 0.4 percent. The Hang Seng Mainland Properties Index gained over 3 percent, while the Hang Seng Tech index dropped 0.7 percent.

China’s Minister of Finance Lan Fo’an, in a highly anticipated press briefing on Saturday, hinted at more debt issuance amid efforts to shore up the economy, stating the government had a “rather large” space to increase the deficit.

China is set to release its trade data for September on Monday. Exports are expected to rise 6 percent, slower than 8.7 percent in August, while imports are estimated to grow 0.9 percent, compared to 0.5 percent in August.

China watchers also look ahead to the week with a busy set of economic data, including China’s third-quarter GDP, September industrial output growth, retail sales and unemployment rate.

Japan’s market was closed for a holiday. Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 gained 0.47 percent to end at 8,252.8. Taiwan markets edged 0.32 percent higher to settle at 22,975.29. South Korea’s blue-chip Kospi gained 1 percent while the small-cap Kosdaq index fell 0.23 percent.

Futures on the Dow Jones Industrial Average traded near the flatline. The S&P 500 index futures were flat, while Nasdaq-100 futures dipped 0.1 percent. Last week, the three major indexes registered a fifth straight week of gains, with the S&P 500 and Dow Jones Industrial Average hitting fresh all-time highs and closing at records on Friday.