The Japanese Nikkei 225 index by 8:37 GMT +2 increased by 0.9%, while the rise continues for the fifth session in a row. Bank of Japan Governor Haruhiko Kuroda said Thursday that the bank is ready to take additional steps to spur economic growth if the COVID-19 pandemic threatens its recovery. He also added that the situation in the country's economy is improving, despite the state of emergency declared on the eve. Among the leaders in the growth of quotations are shares of Nikon (+ 7.2%), Bridgestone (+ 4.6%) and Yamaha (+ 3.3%). In addition, the market value of the investment and technology SoftBank Group (+ 2.9%), the automaker Toyota Motor (T: 7203) (+ 0.1%), the largest apparel retailer in Asia Fast Retailing (+ 1.3%) is growing. , semiconductor manufacturer Advantest Corp. (+ 0.5%). By 8:50 GMT +2, China's Shanghai Composite Index dropped 0.4%, while Hong Kong's Hang Seng Index added 0.7%. According to the General Administration of Customs, China increased exports by 3.6% in 2020 to a record $ 2.49 trillion. At the same time, imports decreased by 1.1% and amounted to $ 2.05 trillion. The most significant gains during trading on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange were shares of the oil producer CNOOC (+ 7%), as well as one of the key players in the country's Internet services sector, Meituan (+ 5.8%). The share price of the online retailer Alibaba Group Holding Ltd. jumped 4.8%, internet giant Tencent Holdings jumped 4.4%, automaker Geely Automobile Holdings Ltd. - by 3.2%. In addition, the value of telecommunications companies China Mobile (+ 4.4%) and China Unicom (+ 2.9%) are increasing. South Korean Kospi index by 8:49 Moscow time fell by 0.1%. The market value of one of the world's largest chip manufacturers, Samsung Electronics Co. fell by 0.7%, carmaker Hyundai Motor - increased by 3.1%. The Australian S & P / ASX 200 climbed 0.43% on Thursday. It is also worth noting that the capitalization of securities of the world's largest mining companies BHP and Rio Tinto decreased by 0.4% and 0.9%, respectively.