Asian stocks rise as Sino-U.S. trade hopes boost sentiment

Asian stocks advanced on Friday as sentiment improved on a report that U.S.-China Trade talks were making progress and after UK lawmakers voted to delay a potentially chaotic exit from the European Union.

Spreadbetters expected a higher open for European stocks, with Britain's FTSE gaining 0.2 percent and Germany's DAX and France's CAC each adding 0.15 percent.

Chinese Vice Premier Liu He spoke by telephone with U.S. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin and U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer, with the two sides making further substantive progress on Trade talks, Xinhua news agency said on Friday.

MSCI broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan gained 0.55 percent.

The Shanghai Composite Index added 0.7 percent and Japan's Nikkei climbed 0.8 percent.

The Republic of Korea's KOSPI was up 0.6 percent. The index had risen as much as 1.2 percent but gave up some gains following reports that the Democratic People's Republic of Korea is considering suspending nuclear talks with the United States.

Global markets drew some relief overnight with European stocks rising to a five-month high, boosted by strength in the banking sector after Britain's parliament voted to reject a disorderly Brexit.