Asian stocks rose for the fourth straight month in April, bolstered by China's better-than-expected economic data and on optimism that the United States and China are inching towards a trade deal. In April, the MSCI's broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares, gained about 1.6 percent, its biggest gain since January.
Boosting regional optimism, China posted economic growth of 6.4 percent in the first quarter, in a sign that Beijing's policy stimulus is gaining traction in the world's second-largest economy. Industrial output in March expanded at the fastest pace since mid-2014.
Also, the recent meetings between the US and Chinese officials to hammer out a trade deal lifted Asian shares. The United States and China are nearing a trade deal that would roll back a portion of the $250 billion in US tariffs on Chinese goods, Politico reported on Wednesday after US Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said the two countries completed "productive" talks in Beijing.