Asian markets rally; Nikkei up 212pts

Asian markets have rallied smartly in morning trades today.

The Hang Seng has advanced 197 points to 22,734. The Nikkei has rallied 212 points to 17,241.

The Taiwan Weighted index has advanced 84 points to 9184. The Straits Times index has surged 111 points to 3413. The Seoul Composite index is up five points at 1909.

China's Shanghai Composite index has soared 61 points to 4724.