Asia markets mixed in closing on Friday as investors reacted to an escalating trade war between the U.S. and China, a shakeup in leadership in Australia and inflation data from Japan.
In Japan, the Nikkei 225 gained 190.95 points, or 0.9%, to 22,601.77. The yen traded at 111.33 to the U.S. dollar, weakening from levels below 110.5 earlier in the week.
Government data released before the market open showed Japan's core consumer prices in July rose 0.8% from a year ago, but was unchanged from the previous month's gain. That number fell slightly short of market expectations but it remained notably far off from the Bank of Japan's 2% inflation target.
In Hong Kong, the Hang Seng lost 118.59 points, or 0.4%, to 27,671.87
Korean markets were slightly to the good, as major blue chip names mostly gained. But shares of electronics giant Samsung slipped 0.1%.
Australian markets nosed up, following news that country's treasurer, Scott Morrison, will become the new prime minister after incumbent Malcolm Turnbull was ousted.
Morrison won a three-way battle for the Liberal Party leadership, beating former Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton and Foreign Minister Julie Bishop.
The Australian dollar rose from an earlier low of $0.7235 U.S. to around $0.7284, but it was lower than levels above $0.7350 that it had reached earlier in the week. Analysts' attributed the recent moves in the Aussie dollar to the political uncertainty at the top until Morrison's win.
CHINA
In Shanghai, the CSI 300 eked up 5.3 points, or 0.2%, to 3,325.37
The session in Asia followed slight declines on Wall Street, where the ongoing trade war between the United States and China and worries of renewed legal issues for President Donald Trump dampened investor sentiment.
Trade talks between American and Chinese officials, who were seeking to end the impasse, concluded on Thursday without major developments. That same day, a new round of U.S. tariffs on $16 billion worth of Chinese imports kicked in, prompting Beijing to retaliate with its own levies on American goods worth the same amount.
In other markets
In Singapore, the Straits Times STI index fell 36.89 points, or 1.1%, to 3,213
In Korea, the Kospi index gained 10.61 points, or 0.5%, to 2,293.21
In Taiwan, the Taiex index shed 53.78 points, or 0.5%, to 10,809.35
In New Zealand, the NZX 50 restored 19.76 points, or 0.2%, to 9,159.63
In Australia, the ASX 200 inched up 2.96 points, or 0.1%, to 6,247.33
