05:36 AM EST, 02/12/2025 (MT Newswires) -- Asian stock markets treaded choppily higher Wednesday on the outlook for support from Beijing for China's struggling property markets, and on foreign-exchange moves.

Hong Kong, Shanghai and Tokyo finished in the green, as did most other regional exchanges. Bangkok was closed on holiday.

In Japan, the Nikkei 225 opened higher after a one-day hiatus, wavered, but finished up 0.4% on earnings-season results and as a softer yen boosted export issues.

The benchmark Nikkei 225 rose 162.53 to 38,963.70, although losing issues outnumbered gainers 127 to 96.

Leading the upside was online medical services provider M3, gaining 19.3%, while chemical-and-fiber house Kuraray declined 15%, with both moves following earnings announcements.

In other news, Japan on Wednesday formally requested that its aluminum and steel exports be excluded from the 25% tariffs on the metals planned by US President Donald Trump.

In Hong Kong, the Hang Seng Index opened higher and rose to the close, finishing up 2.6% as traders bought into battered property issues and invigorated tech stocks.

The broad gauge Hang Seng rose 563.06 to 21,857.92, as gaining issues outnumbered losers 74 to six. The Hang Seng TECH Index gained 2.7% on the day, while the Mainland Properties Index jumped 5.9%.

Leading the upside was Alibaba Health Information Technology, gaining 4.5%, while Hansoh Pharmaceuticals declined 4.5%.

Property issues gained on media reports that Beijing plans to help property-developer China Vanke plug a $6.8 billion funding gap in 2025, highlighting possible emerging official support for distressed China real estate enterprises.

On the mainland, the Shanghai Composite rose 0.9% to 3,346.39.

On the other regional exchanges, the South Korean KOSPI rose 0.4%; the Taiwan TWSE declined 0.4%; the Australian ASX 200 inclined 0.6%; and the Singapore Straits Times Index rose 0.4%. In late trading in Mumbai, the Sensex was down 0.2%.