Asian Markets Mixed, HSI Closed For Christmas

Stocks rose in China and were little changed in Japan on Friday with most world markets closed for Christmas holidays.

The mixed session followed an advance during Wall Street's shortened Christmas Eve trading as investors began the holiday weekend seemingly untroubled over US President Donald Trump’s threat not to sign a major economic stimulus package approved by Congress this week.

The economic package remained in limbo after Republican lawmakers rejected Trump’s demand that the end-of-year spending bill give most Americans US$2,000 Covid relief checks –- far more than the US$600 members of his own party had agreed to.

Tokyo's Nikkei 225 fell less than 0.1 percent to 26,656.61 after the government reported that retail sales fell 2 percent from a year earlier in November, while consumer prices dropped the most they have in a decade.

The Shanghai Composite index surged 1 percent to 3,396.56. Shares also rose in Taiwan and in Thailand. (AP)