Asian stock markets are trading lower on Tuesday as investors held their breath ahead of a potentially tense meeting between US President Donald Trump and his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping later this week.

Japan's benchmark index, Nikkei 225 fell 74.02 points or 0.39 percent to trade at 18,909.21. Singapore's Straits Times fell 2.08 points or 0.07 percent to trade at 3,185.43.

South Korea's KOSPI fell 2.50 points or 0.12 percent to trade at 2,165.01. Taiwan's TAIEX lost 36.63 points or 0.37 percent to trade at 9,811.52.

On the other hand, China's benchmark index, Shanghai Composite gained 12.28 points or 0.38 percent to trade at 3,222.51. Hong Kong's Hang Seng rose 149.89 points or 0.62 percent to trade at 24,261.48.