Asian markets are trading mostly in the green in early deals on Monday tracking the firm cues from Wall Street on optimism that U.S.-China trade talks will resolve their escalating trade dispute. The US Trade Representative's office said on Friday it doubled the length of tariff hearings on the next $200 billion worth of Chinese goods to six days from the previously planned three due to overwhelming demand from companies to testify. The hearings will be held August 20-24 and on August 27. However, the Japanese market is trading modestly in red terrain in choppy trade as a stronger yen dragged exporters’ shares lower. On the economic front, Japan will provide July data for convenience store sales later in the day.
Straits Times increased 7.59 points or 0.24% to 3,217.03, Jakarta Composite soared 93.12 points or 1.58% to 5,876.92, Hang Seng surged 244.25 points or 0.89% to 27,457.66, KOSPI added 0.08 points to 2,247.13 and Shanghai Composite was up by 2.96 points or 0.11% to 2,671.93.
On the flip side, Nikkei 225 decreased 64.05 points or 0.29% to 22,206.33 and Taiwan Weighted was down by 1.22 points or 0.01% to 10,689.74.
