Most Asian stock markets declined on Thursday after a weak session in the US and Europe overnight but Shanghai stocks moved higher as China boosted the amount of money foreigners can invest in its capital markets.
The FTSE Asia Pacific index was down 0.1 per cent at 242.28 in late Asian trade, although the decline was much less substantial than the more than 2 per cent drop in London and on most European bourses overnight.
The Shanghai Composite bucked the weaker trend, jumping 1.4 per cent as mainland Chinese markets opened after a three-day public holiday. On Tuesday, China more than doubled the amount of money foreign institutions can invest in its capital markets.