Shares in Asia were mixed on Wednesday as investors looked for concrete developments on U.S.-China trade as the threat of increased tariffs looms.
In Japan, the Nikkei 225 jumped 64.45 points, or 0.3%, to 23,437.77
The Japanese yen traded at 109.16 against the U.S. dollar after weakening from levels around 108.9 yesterday.
In Hong Kong, the Hang Seng Index gained 40.08 points, or 0.2%, to 26,954. Hong Kong-listed shares of Chinese tech juggernaut Alibaba continued their upward trek as they gained 2.99%, following a blockbuster debut on Tuesday.
The Australian dollar changed hands at $0.678 after seeing an earlier low of $0.6769.
CHINA
In Shanghai, the CSI 300 let go of 16.03 points, or 0.4%, to 3,875.62
The moves came after an earlier data release by China’s National Bureau of Statistics showed industrial profits declining 9.9% year-on-year in October.
Investors continue to watch for updates on U.S.-China trade talks. Leading negotiators from Washington and Beijing held another phone call on Tuesday morning to discuss how to "resolve core issues," China’s Ministry of Commerce said.
That was bolstered by comments from U.S. President Donald Trump, who also said Tuesday that Washington and Beijing are in the “"inal throes" of reaching a trade deal.
In other markets
In Taiwan, the Taiex gained 70.64 points, or 0.6%, to 11,647.46
In Korea, the Kospi picked up 6.5 points, or 0.3%, to 2,127.85
In Singapore, the Straits Times Index increased 7.68 points, or 0.2%, to 3,215.53
In New Zealand, the NZX hiked 76.27 points, or 0.7%, to 11,120.81
In Australia, the ASX 200 acquired 63.07 points, or 0.9%, to 6,850.60
