The Xi factor draws bargain hunters back to China’s stocks, pushing Asian markets to rally as new coronavirus cases taper off

• Benchmark indexes advanced in 14 of the 19 stock markets in the Asia-Pacific region as of 4:30pm in Hong Kong
• The number of new coronavirus cases eased in Asia, with mainland China reporting 19 new cases overnight, to the extent that even Chinese President Xi Jinping thought it safe to make his first visit to Wuhan, in a gesture that bolstered confidence