The benchmark Nikkei 225 was up 1.53 per cent, or 137.51 points, at 9,132.66 in late morning trade in Tokyo. In Hong Kong, the Hang Seng Index was up 2.35 per cent, or 470.63 points, at 20,518.26. Taiwan’s TAIEX was up 1.47 per cent, or 111.26 points, at 7,690.06 and South Korea’s KOSPI was up 2.43 per cent, or 47.45 points, at 1,998.14.