Asian stock markets settled higher on Tuesday  as the U.S. prepared to go to the polls and as still-lackluster Chinese trade data eased worries about an abrupt downturn in the world's second largest economy.

China's benchmark index, Shanghai Composite rose 14.55 points or 0.46 percent to close at 3,147.89.  Hong Kong's Hang Seng gained 108.07 points or 0.47 percent to end at 22,909.47.

Singapore's Straits Times rose 19.29 points or 0.69 percent to end at 2,820.24.  South Korea's KOSPI rose 5.80 points or 0.29 percent to end at 2,003.38. Taiwan's TAIEX rose 27.59 points or 0.3 percent to end at 9,217.43.

On the ohter hand, Japan's benchmark index, Nikkei 225 declined 5.83 points or 0.03 percent to settle at 17,171.38.