Regional markets were mixed as US President Donald Trump ordered a delay in the reimposition of higher tariffs on Chinese goods, hours before a trade truce between Washington and Beijing was due to expire.

In Hong Kong, the benchmark Hang Seng Index lost 82 points, or 0.33 percent, to open at 24,824.

Across the border, the benchmark Shanghai Composite Index opened at 3,647, up 0.41 points or 0.01 percent while the Shenzhen Component Index opened at 11,292, up one point, or 0.01 percent.

In Tokyo, however, the Nikkei share gauge powered to an all-time high, swept up by sharp gains for tech stocks, as it caught up with peaks scaled this year by other major global stock markets.

The Nikkei 225 rose as much as 2.1 percent to 42,715 in early trade, exceeding the previous high of 42,426 set on July 11, 2024. In a roller-coaster ride in 2024, the Nikkei had exceeded a record that had stood since 1989 during Japan's bubble economy. (AFP/Xinhua)