Tokyo ends higher; HK, Seoul slip

A lack of interest in high-techs kept the Tokyo market to a 0.6% gain Tuesday

HONG KONG, China -- Tokyo stocks closed slightly higher Tuesday ahead of the U.S. Federal Reserve's decision on interest rates this week.

The benchmark Nikkei 225 average ended the day at 12,978.82, a gain of 82.35 points or 0.64 percent. The broader capital-weighted Topix picked up 4.55 points or 0.35 percent to 1295.93.

Markets in Australia and New Zealand also closed higher, but Korea, Taiwan and Hong Kong fell.

Korea's Kospi lost more 1.1 percent, led by declines in tech stocks SK Telecom, Samsung Electronics and Hynix Semiconductor.

Hong Kong's Hang Seng index lost 212 points or 1.6 percent to finish at 12961.97, after falls across the board.

Telecom giants China Mobile, China Unicom, bank leader HSBC and property counters Cheung Kong and Sun Hung Kai Properties were all lower.

Australian shares little changed

Australian shares were little changed, but gains among the big banks and Telstra helped the benchmark S&P/ASX200 close 15.5 points or 0.45 percent higher at 3434.2.

In Japan, good earnings by old industrials such as Kawasaki Heavy Industries helped the index into positive territory.

But the market was let down by lack of interest in high-techs and bank shares ahead of a Bank of Japan policy board meeting on Thursday and a meeting between Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi and U.S. President George W. Bush at the weekend.

The Japanese central bank is unlikely to change its ultra-loose monetary policy in order to cope with a weakening economy at its meeting on Thursday.

Taiwan ends near six-month low

Taiwan erased early gains to finish 2.43 percent donw at a near six-month low of 4,785.12. Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC), the world's top microchip foundry, failed to stage a strong rally after going ex-dividend.

Singapore's Straits Times index was up marginally at 1709.40. Bangkok, Jakarta and Mumbai were all stronger in late afternoon trading.

Reuters contributed to this report.