Major stock markets in Asia traded mixed on Friday as investors weighed strong US economic recovery against persistent fears over the rapid spread of the Delta variant in the region. Stocks in Australia led the gains after Canberra offered a coronavirus exit roadmap. Meantime, the Shanghai Composite and the Hang Seng tumbled over 1.5%, following President Xi Jinping’s warning that Beijing would never allow any foreign force to bully China while pledging to build up its military.
