Hong Kong (CNN Business) Stocks in Asia rallied on Friday, following Wall Street's lead . Markets are getting a boost after China gave investors a bit of a reason to be optimistic about trade talks with the United States.

South Korea's Kospi gained 1.7%. Japan's Nikkei also rose 1.1%.

Markets in the region have seesawed because of unease about the state of trade relations. US President Donald Trump said earlier this week that China called and relayed a desire to return to the negotiating table, a talk of which China's foreign ministry said it was unaware.

But China's commerce ministry said Thursday that the country is willing to solve the trade problems with "a calm attitude." Spokesman Gao Feng added that the two sides continue talking.

"The most important thing at the moment is to create the conditions needed for the two sides to continue the negotiations," he added.

That positivity, however slight, soothed nerves in the United States — a mood that seems to be carrying over to Asia.

"It doesn't sound like a lot," said Jeffrey Halley, senior market analyst at Asia Pacific for Oanda. But given the "fragility" of markets earlier in the week, he suggested that investors "would probably have continued streaming for the exit door" without the comments from China.

The US-China trade dispute "remains the only game in town" for investors worldwide, he added in a research note.

Here are some other talking points in Asia at 10:30 a.m. Hong Kong time: