BEIJING: Chinese stocks advanced for a second straight day ahead of a meeting of world leaders in Beijing for the Silk Road summit. The CSI 300 Index, which tracks stocks listed in Shanghai and Shenzhen, climbed 0.9% on Friday. It was the first time the index has advanced for two straight days in more than two weeks and it was the biggest daily gain since April 5.
The advance came as Beijing prepares to host a number of world leaders, including Russian president Vladimir Putin, for a summit on China’s ambitious One Belt, One Road (OBOR) initiative to link China to Europe via Central Asia and maritime routes. The summit comes as the U.S. and China unveiled a trade agreement that will boost U.S. exports of liquefied natural gas and beef, and work on improving access for electronic payment system providers in China.