Investors were looking ahead to Friday's meeting of China's legislature for details of possible new steps by Beijing to stimulate its virus-battered economy.
China has blocked beef imports from four Australian suppliers in possible retaliation for Australia's support for an investigation into the origin of the coronavirus pandemic. Meanwhile, the Trump administration has stepped up a feud over Beijing's industrial ambitions by tightening controls on use of U.S. technology by tech giant Huawei.
The Kospi in Seoul gained 0.5% to 1,999.69 and Australia's S&P-ASX 200 was off under 0.1% at 5,569.70. New Zealand was off 0.3% and Singapore was up less than 0.1%. The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 1.5% to 24,575.90. The Nasdaq composite, which is heavily weighted with technology stocks, climbed 2.1% to 9,375.78.U.S. stocks have been spurred higher by hopes for a potential vaccine and optimism the economy will recover in the second half as businesses reopen and stay-at-home orders are relaxed.
Forecasters expect Beijing to channel extra money into job-creation efforts to head off a surge in unemployment and put money in consumers' pockets.
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