Asian stock markets closed higher on Friday. Japan's benchmark index, Nikkei 225 declined 47.01 points or 0.3 percent to settle at 15,539.19. China's benchmark index, Shanghai Composite went up 10.35 points or 0.46 percent to close at 2,240.81. Hong Kong's Hang Seng went up 118.13 points or 0.47 percent to end at 25,112.23.

Singapore's Straits Times rose 1.41 points or 0.04 percent to end at 3,325.50. South Korea's KOSPI rose 12.49 points or 0.61 percent to end at 2,056.70. Taiwan's TAIEX went up 126.72 points or 1.37 percent to end at 9,380.10.