MSCI's broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares excluding Japan was up 0.3%, stretching gains into a third consecutive day. 

South Korea's KOSPI rose 1.5%, paring earlier gains after the Bank of Korea raised interest rates by 25 basis points to 3%, in line with market expectations. Taiwanese shares rose 0.3%, while Japan's Nikkei slipped 0.2%.

Hong Kong stocks closed lower on Thursday, but China equities climbed. 

The benchmark Hang Seng Index dipped 87 points, or 0.3 percent, to 25,565 points at the close. 

The market turnover was HK$233.5 billion.

The Hang Seng Tech Index also slid 0.1 percent to 4,620 points.

In the mainland, the Shanghai Stock Exchange Composite Index was up by 1.1 percent to 3,956 points and the Shenzhen Stock Exchange Component Index grew 1.5 percent to 14,048 points.

Australia’s benchmark S&P/ASX 200
 fell 0.98%.