Asian stock markets settled higher on Wednesday as investors cheered better-than-expected Japanese exports data and South Korean GDP figures.

Japan's benchmark index, Nikkei 225 rose 269.51 points or 1.43 percent to settle at 19,057.50. China's benchmark index, Shanghai Composite gained 7.00 points or 0.22 percent to close at 3,149.55. Hong Kong's Hang Seng rose 99.26 points or 0.43 percent to end at 23,049.12.

Singapore's Straits Times lost 2.01 points or 0.07 percent to end at 3,039.94. South Korea's KOSPI gained 1.18 points or 0.06 percent to end at 2,066.94. Taiwan's TAIEX gained 23.90 points or 0.25 percent to end at 9,447.95.