Mixed Trading in Asia-Pacific Markets Amidst US Investigation

Markets in the Asia-Pacific region showed mixed performance on Tuesday as investors weighed the implications of the Biden administration launching an investigation into the use of legacy Chinese semiconductors in various sectors, including automotive, household goods, and defense systems.

Investors also considered the recently published meeting minutes from the Bank of Japan (BoJ) and the Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA), as well as the commencement of formal merger discussions between Japanese car manufacturers Nissan and Honda.

In China, the Shanghai Composite rose by 0.80% and the Shenzhen Composite increased by 0.55% at 7:05 am CET. Meanwhile, Japan's Nikkei 225 declined by 0.27% at 7:21 am CET. South Korea's Kospi Composite fell by 0.14%, while Hong Kong's Hang Seng improved by 1.08% at 7:22 am.

Australia's S&P/ASX 200 closed 0.24% higher in a shortened trading day, with the Australian dollar remaining steady against the yen at ¥156.98400 at 7:24 am CET.