Asia markets closed mixed on Tuesday, with the Japanese benchmark index leading gains in the region.
In Japan, the Nikkei 225 leaped 349.16 points, or 2.2%, to 16,565.19
In Hong Kong, the Hang Seng index gained 85.87 points, or 0.4%, to 20,242.68
In company news, shares of troubled Japanese airbag-maker Takata retraced some of its near 8% losses to close down 7.4%, following reports of additional recalls. The Japanese business daily Nikkei reported the government had urged automakers to recall an additional seven million or so vehicles with faulty Takata air bags sold in the country.
If automakers in Japan comply, the tally of vehicles recalled with Takata air bags worldwide will be roughly 120 million, the Nikkei reported.
The Japanese yen traded at 108.77 against the U.S. dollar, compared to the 106 level the pair touched late last month following the Bank of Japan's decision to stand pat on monetary policy.
Among resource stocks, shares of Rio Tinto finished down 2.9%, Fortescue was off by 6.3% and BHP Billiton down 3.2%.
Shares of Sydney Airport closed up 2.2%, hotelier Mantra Group added 0.3% and major carriers, Qantas added 2.4%, while Virgin Australia perked 3.6%
Energy plays in Asia were mostly lower, with shares of Santos closing down 3.6%, Woodside Petroleum lower by 3.3% and Inpex closing down 0.2%.
CHINA
The CSI 300 Index nicked higher 3.5 points, or 0.1%, to 3,069.11.
Chinese metal plays finished mixed, with shares of Aluminium Corp up 1% while Nanjing Steel dropped 0.8%.
Chinese mainland oil plays were mixed, with Sinopec losing 1% and China Petroleum up 0.2%.
Chinese data showed April's consumer price index was up 2.3% on-year, compared with the median forecast in an economists’ poll for a 2.4% increase. In March, consumer price index also rose by 2.3% on-year. The producer price index for April, on the other hand, fell 3.4% on-year, slightly less than the 3.8% decline that analysts had expected.
In other markets;
In Korea, the Kospi Index regained 14.69 points, or 0.8%, to 1,982.50
In Singapore, the Straits Times Index erased 24.91 points, or 0.9%, to 2,741.15
In Taiwan, the Taiex Index reacquired 24.26 points, or 0.3%, to 8,156.29
New Zealand’s NZX 50 recovered 24.36 points, or 0.4%, to 6,909.41
The ASX 200 added 22.09 points, or 0.4%, to 5,342.79
