Asian markets shine; Nikkei up 222pts

Asian markets were holding smart gains in early trades up around 1% each.

The Nikkei had rallied 222 points to 17,707. The Shanghai Composite index had surged 36 points to 3360.

The Taiwan Weighted index had advanced 45 points to 8050, and the Straits Times index has added 38 points to 3384.

The Seoul Composite index and the Jakarta index have gained 14 points each at 1498 and 1910, respectively.