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Asian markets opened the new year positively, with Hong Kong's Hang Seng index rising 2.2% to 26,189.79, driven by a surge in technology stocks. Alibaba increased by 3.2%, while Baidu jumped 7.5% after announcing plans to spin off its AI chip division, Kunlunxin, which is set to list shares in Hong Kong in early 2027, pending regulatory approvals.

The South Korean Kospi gained 1.5% to 4,277.94, the Australian S&P/ASX 200 rose 0.2% to 8,727.30, Taiwan's Taiex climbed 1.1%, and India's Sensex increased by 0.1%. The rise in Asian stocks is supported by expectations that growth in AI usage will boost demand for computer chips and other components essential for data centers and infrastructure.