FRANKFURT (dpa-AFX) - The DAX opened higher on Thursday as trading commenced on the Ascension Day public holiday. Minutes after the Xetra open, the German benchmark index climbed 0.99 percent to 24,375 points. The MDAX, which tracks mid-cap stocks, rose 0.72 percent to 31,625 points. Meanwhile, the Eurozone benchmark EuroStoxx 50 edged up 0.6 percent, with technology and automotive stocks seeing strong demand.
Market attention is focused on U.S. President Donald Trump's visit to China, where both sides have employed notably cordial rhetoric in an effort to stabilize relations between the two superpowers. However, Chinese President Xi Jinping warned Trump against a conflict over Taiwan. According to the state news agency Xinhua in Beijing, Xi stated that if the Taiwan issue were mishandled, it would lead to tensions or even conflict between the two nations./ajx/jha/
