Asian stock markets are trading higher on Thursday as investors were encouraged by President Donald Trump's measured tone in his first speech to Congress, which sent Wall Street stocks sharply higher, while growing bets on a U.S. rate hike this month buoyed the dollar.

Japan's benchmark index, Nikkei 225 rose 225.21 points or 1.16 percent to trade at 19,618.75. China's benchmark index, Shanghai Composite rose 0.50 points or 0.02 percent to trade at 3,247.43. Hong Kong's Hang Seng gained 145.18 points or 0.61 percent to trade at 23,921.67.

Singapore's Straits Times gained 20.53 points or 0.66 percent to trade at 3,143.30. South Korea's KOSPI gained 6.20 points or 0.3 percent to trade at 2,097.84. Taiwan's TAIEX went up 37.53 points or 0.39 percent to trade at 9,712.31.