Asian stock markets are trading higher on Thursday as a cautious Wall Street close and growing political risks in Europe force investors to the sidelines.

China's benchmark index, Shanghai Composite rose 18.43 points or 0.58 percent to trade at 3,185.41. Hong Kong's Hang Seng went up 145.25 points or 0.62 percent to trade at 23,630.38. Singapore's Straits Times went up 22.67 points or 0.74 percent to trade at 3,089.20.

South Korea's KOSPI went up 4.65 points or 0.23 percent to trade at 2,069.73. Taiwan's TAIEX rose 49.92 points or 0.52 percent to trade at 9,593.17.

On the other hand, Japan's benchmark index, Nikkei 225 declined 25.98 points or 0.14 percent to trade at 18,981.62.