Asian shares Friday were mixed, with Chinese technology stocks rising as most other Asian equities declined.Japan’s benchmark Nikkei 225 dipped nearly 0.72% in afternoon trading to 38,787.02. Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 slid just 0.

The Australian government has banned the AI company on all government devices and networks over fears about national security

Lower construction spending on data centers because of DeepSeek could negatively impact heavy equipment stocks like Caterpillar, JPMorgan said.

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.

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.