-- Asian stock markets marched unevenly higher Thursday, as traders reviewed major economic reports from Beijing, and prospects for peace in the Middle East.
Hong Kong, Shanghai, Seoul, Taiwan and Tokyo exchanges finished in the green, although other regional exchanges edged lower.
In Japan, the Nikkei 225 opened higher and rose to the close, up 2.4% as traders weighed media reports of possibly renewed Tehran-Washington peace talks.
The benchmark Nikkei 225 gained 1,384.10 to 59,518.34, as gaining issues outnumbered losers 158 to 64.
Leading the upside was gadget maker TDK, up 13.1%, while heavy-equipment manufacturer Komatsu declined 5.4%.
In Hong Kong, the Hang Seng Index opened higher and tracked north, closing up 1.7%, after Beijing released a slate of generally good economic reports. Tech issues led the upside.
The broad gauge Hang Seng rose 446.94 to 26,394.26 as gaining issues outnumbered losers 61 to 26. The Hang Seng TECH Index gained 3.7% on the day, while the Mainland Properties Index rose 1.2%.
Leading the upside was Contemporary Amperex Technology, gaining 9%, while noodle maker Tingyi declined 3.5%.
On the mainland, the Shanghai Composite rose 0.7% to 4,055.55.
In economic news, mainland China's Q1 gross domestic product (GDP) expanded by 5% on year, meeting Beijing's target, reported the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS).
Additionally, China's industrial output rose 5.7% on year in March, while retail sales lifted a tempered 1.7% in the same period.
China's new home prices across 70 cities fell 3.4% on-year in March 2026, widening from a 3.2% decline in the previous month, reported the NBS.
On the other regional exchanges, the S. Korean KOSPI rose 2.2%; the Taiwan TWSE added 1.1%; the Australian ASX 200 lost 0.3%; the Singapore Straits Times Index slipped 0.3%, and the Thai Set fell 1.1%. In late trading in Mumbai, the Sensex was down 0.2%.
The MSCI All Country Asia Pacific Index rose 1.2% on the day.