06:38 AM EDT, 04/02/2025 (MT Newswires) -- Asian stock markets churned on Wednesday, as traders weighed the new global trading environment and looked for values after recent sell-offs.

Tokyo finished modestly in the green, while Hong Kong and Shanghai traded evenly. Other regional exchanges were mixed and muted.

In Japan, the Nikkei 225 opened lower but rose to the close, edging up 0.3% as traders hunted values after recent sell-offs.

The benchmark Nikkei 225 rose 101.39 to 35,725.87 although losing issues outnumbered gainers 165 to 59.

Leading the upside was heavy-machinery maker IHI, up 5.7%, while department-store chain Isetan Mitsukoshi declined 5.5%.

In other news, the state-backed chip-making venture Rapidus began running a pilot manufacturing line for next-generation, two-nanometer semiconductor chips on Tuesday, and eyeing mass production in 2027, reported The Mainichi newspaper.

In Hong Kong, the Hang Seng Index opened lower, waffled but finished evenly as markets awaited clarity on rising Trump administration tariffs, and responses by US trading partners.

The broad gauge Hang Seng declined 4.31 to 23,202.53, as gaining issues outnumbered losers 51 to 29. The Hang Seng TECH Index gained 0.4% on the day, while the Mainland Properties Index rose 0.6%.

Leading the upside was Chow Tai Fook Jewelry, gaining 10.1%, while smartphone and automaker Xiaomi lost 4.2%.

On the mainland, the Shanghai Composite rose 0.1% to 3,350.13.

On the other regional exchanges, the S. Korean KOSPI fell 0.6%; the Taiwan TWSE added 0.1%; the Australian ASX 200 gained 0.1%; the Singapore Straits Times Index fell 0.4%, and the Thai Set gained 0.4%. In late trading in Mumbai, the Sensex was up 0.8%.