Asian equity benchmarks are trading up in the early deals on Friday, as investors cheered upbeat Chinese trade data and strong gains on Wall Street after US President Donald Trump promised to unveiled a major tax announcement to lower the burden on businesses. Higher crude oil prices also boosted investor sentiment. Meanwhile, the Japanese market is notably higher, with a weaker yen and the record closing highs overnight on Wall Street boosting investor sentiment. Investors are also keeping a close eye on Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's meeting with Trump later in the day in Washington, DC.
Nikkei 225 added 447.94 points or 2.37% to 19,355.61, Hang Seng strengthen 130.14 points or 0.55% to 23,655.28, FTSE Bursa Malaysia KLCI gained 11.78 points or 0.70% to 1,700.28, KOSPI Index rose 9.51 points or 0.46% to 2,075.39, Shanghai Composite jumped 13.56 points or 0.43% to 3,196.74, Taiwan Weighted increased 81.68 points or 0.85% to 9,671.86, Jakarta Composite spurt 20.69 points or 0.39% to 5,392.76 and Straits Times was up by 21.60 points or 0.70% to 3,101.56.