Asian shares jump as trade war between US and China progress

People stand in the lobby of the Indonesia Stock Exchange building in Jakarta, June 12, 2013. [Photo: Reuters]

SHANGHAI - Asian shares jumped on Friday after a phone call between the US and Chinese presidents raised hopes of a thaw in trade tensions, but gains were checked by signs of slowing global growth and a warning from tech giant Apple Inc on holiday sales.

MSCI’s broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan touched a two-and-a-half-week high and was last up 1.4 percent, adding to the previous session’s strong gains.