Mainland and Hong Kong stocks were up in early trading on Monday, tracking earlier gains around the region, while China left benchmark loan prime rates unchanged for the seventh consecutive month in December -- in line with expectations.

In Hong Kong, the benchmark Hang Seng Index rose 105 points, or 0.41 percent, to open at 25,795.

Across the border, the benchmark Shanghai Composite Index was up 10 points, or 0.26 percent, at 3,900 while the Shenzhen Component Index rose 85 points, or 0.65 percent, at 13,225.

The ChiNext Index, tracking China's Nasdaq-style board of growth enterprises, was up 1.01 percent at 3,153.

The Hong Kong and mainland gains came after the 225-issue Nikkei Stock Average opened earlier up 577 points, or 1.17 percent at 50,084 in Tokyo and the Korea Composite Stock Price Index too opened sharply up 75 points, or 1.88 percent, at 4,096.

The steady prime rate fixings in December by Beijing suggested authorities are not in a rush to deliver fresh monetary easing measures, as the world's second-largest economy appears on track to hit its growth target for the year.

The central bank's adoption of "cross-cyclical" policy adjustments, which aim to smooth out the impact of economic cycles, and ‍record-low profit margins at lenders may also give policymakers room to ⁠delay stimulus until next year, some market watchers said.

The one-year loan prime rate was kept at 3 percent, while the five-year rate was unchanged at 3.5 percent.. (Reuters/Xinhua)