Asian stock markets settled higher on Tuesday, following a survey showing a pickup in China's factory activities for December.

China's benchmark index, Shanghai Composite went up 32.28 points or 1.04 percent to close at 3,135.92. Hong Kong's Hang Seng went up 149.84 points or 0.68 percent to end at 22,150.40. Singapore's Straits Times gained 18.21 points or 0.63 percent to end at 2,898.97.

South Korea's KOSPI rose 17.81 points or 0.88 percent to end at 2,043.97. Taiwan's TAIEX gained 19.38 points or 0.21 percent to end at 9,272.88.

On the other hand, Japan's benchmark index, Nikkei 225 declined 30.77 points or 0.16 percent to settle at 19,114.37.