Asian markets firm; Nikkei up 138pts

Asian markets have posted smart gains so far today.

The Hang Seng has surged 273 points to 22,181. The Nikkei has rallied 138 points to 17,060.

The Taiwan Weighted index has advanced 189 points to 9051. The Straits Times index has moved up 83 points to 3385, and the Seoul Composite index has added 41 points to 1900.

China's Shanghai Composite index is almost flat at 4648.