Asian shares edged higher on Monday after U.S. President Donald Trump said over the weekend that trade talks with China were moving along “very nicely”, though uncertainty remained over whether a deal would be signed this year.

Japan's Nikkei was up 0.2% to inch closer to a recent 13-month high. Australian shares rose 0.5% to a two-week high while South Korea's KOSPI was off 0.2%.

That left MSCI’s broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan 0.05% firmer at 534.63, testing a recent six-month peak.

Trump told reporters on Saturday that talks with China had moved more slowly than he would have liked, but added that Beijing wanted a deal more than he did.

Source: Reuters