Asia stocks edge up on easing Syria tensions; focus on earnings, China GDP

Asia stocks edged higher on Tuesday, tracking Wall Street gains as the focus shifted to corporate earnings and looming economic data from China amid signs Western-led strikes on Syria weren't likely to escalate.

The dollar pulled back along with safe-haven U.S. Treasuries as investor risk appetite improved in the broader markets.

The near-term focal point was on China's gross domestic product data due at 0200 GMT.

The world's second biggest economy was expected to have carried most of its strong momentum from last year into the first quarter of 2018, after growing 6.8 percent in the fourth quarter.

While Saturday's missile strikes were the biggest intervention by Western countries against Syria, investor risk appetite in the broader markets improved on speculation that the attacks would not lead to prolonged conflict.

World stocks advance as investors expect US, China to negotiate after all

World stocks edged higher on Thursday as investors used signs of an easing of Sino-U.S. trade tensions to dip back into riskier assets.

The MSCI world equity index, which tracks shares in 47 countries, climbed 0.4 percent, while shares in Europe jumped 1.6 percent to a two-week high.

Cyclical sectors including basic resources, autos and banks, hit particularly hard over the past two sessions in Europe, led gains.

Sentiment was lifted as Washington expressed a willingness to negotiate, after proposed U.S. tariffs on $50 billion of Chinese goods prompted swift retaliation from Beijing.

MSCI's broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan rose 0.6 percent, a day after it hit its lowest in almost two months.

Japan's Nikkei ended 1.5 percent higher. Markets in mainland China, Hong Kong and Taiwan were closed for the Tomb Sweeping Day holiday on Thursday.