Asian stock markets settled higher on Friday, although Chinese and Japanese shares ended in the red, tracking exchange rate fluctuations ahead of the closely-watched U.S. jobs report due tonight.

Hong Kong's Hang Seng rose 37.57 points or 0.17 percent to end at 22,494.26.  Singapore's Straits Times gained 7.64 points or 0.26 percent to end at 2,961.78.

South Korea's KOSPI rose 7.17 points or 0.35 percent to end at 2,049.12. Taiwan's TAIEX rose 14.08 points or 0.15 percent to end at 9,372.22.

On the other hand, Japan's benchmark index, Nikkei 225 declined 66.36 points or 0.34 percent to settle at 19,454.33. China's benchmark index, Shanghai Composite fell 11.09 points or 0.35 percent to close at 3,154.32.