Major US stock indexes are closing sharply higher after China's leader sounded a conciliatory tone on trade tensions with the US, the AP reports. Automakers and technology companies climbed Tuesday after President Xi Jinping said he would cut China's auto tariffs and improve intellectual property protection. General Motors rose 3.3% and chipmaker Nvidia jumped 5.8%. Investors seemed pleased with how Facebook CEO Mark Zuckberg's Congressional testimony on data privacy started out. Facebook rose 4.5%, and rival social media company Twitter increased 5.4%. The S&P 500 increased 43 points, or 1.7%, to 2,656. The Dow Jones industrial average rose 428 points, or 1.8%, to 24,408. The Nasdaq added 143 points, or 2.1%, to 7,094. (More stock market stories.)