Asia opens higher in tandem with Wall Street

Asian stock indices opened the second session of the week and month mixed with Japan, Australia, New Zealand, and South Korea higher, while Chinese stocks declined, as markets price in US protests, tensions with China, and steps to reopen global economies. 

Earlier Australian data showed current account surplus up to 8.4 billion Australian dollars from 1.7 billion in the fourth quarter. 

Reports said Chinese officials asked state-owned agricultural companies to stop purchasing soybeans and pork from the US, after US President Donald Trump announced steps to sanction Chinese officials and companies for Hong Kong treatment. 

Otherwise, markets are pricing in chances the US army might deploy in the US to suppress mass protests for the death of an unarmed black man by police in Minnesota. 

The protests raised concerns of further spread for Covid 19 and pushed the timetable for an economic recovery after a Great Depression- level decline in recent months. 

Japan's TOPEX rose 0.95%, while Nikkei 225 advanced 0.84% to 22,248. 

China's CSI 300 shed 0.04%, while Shanghai inched down 0.07% to 2,913. 

Hong Kong's Hang Seng rose 0.23%, while South Korea's KOSPI advanced 0.82% to 2,081. 

New Zealand's NZX 50 rose 0.89%, while Australia's S&P/ASX 200 rose 0.02% to 5,820.