05:49 AM EST, 01/21/2025 (MT Newswires) -- Asian stock markets finished mixed and higher Tuesday, on media reports of possible good relations between China and US leadership, and after new US President Donald Trump's inaugural message did not overtly mention higher global trade tariffs.

Hong Kong, Shanghai and Tokyo finished in the green, while other regional exchanges were uneven. Mumbai's broad equity indices fell back on an underwhelming earnings season.

In Japan, the Nikkei 225 opened evenly, wobbled but finished up 0.3% as traders searched for clues in Trump's early messaging regarding Japan exports.

The benchmark Nikkei 225 rose 125.48 to 39,027.98, as gaining issues outnumbered losers 114 to 107.

Leading the upside was semiconductor-equipment manufacturing enterprise Disco, up 5.9%, while Kawasaki Heavy Industries declined 3.9%.

In Hong Kong, the Hang Seng Index opened higher and held ground, finishing up 0.9% after media reports regarding a positive telephone conversation between China President Xi Jinping and Trump.

The broad gauge Hang Seng rose 180.74 to 20,106, as gaining issues outnumbered losers 55 to 24. The Hang Seng TECH Index gained 2.1% on the day, while the Mainland Properties Index rose 1.7%.

Leading the upside was smartphone-components maker Sunny Optical Technology, gaining 7.3%, while telecom service China Unicom HK fell 3.2%.

On the mainland, the Shanghai Composite fell 0.1% to 3,242.62.

In economic news, the People's Bank of China on Monday kept its prime short-term rate fixed at 3.1%, and it also unchanged was the central bank's five-year rate at 3.6%, used as a peg for property mortgages.

On the other regional exchanges, the S. Korean KOSPI fell 0.1%; the Taiwan TWSE inclined 0.1%; the Australian ASX 200 inclined 0.7%; the Singapore Straits Times Index fell 0.3%, and the Thai Set inclined 0.9%. In late trading in Mumbai, the Sensex was down 1.6%.