Asian stock markets closed higher on Thursday, taking cues from Wall Street's rather more composed last session.

Japan's benchmark index, Nikkei 225 rose 43.93 points or 0.23 percent to settle at 19,085.31. China's benchmark index, Shanghai Composite rose 3.33 points or 0.1 percent to close at 3,248.55. Hong Kong's Hang Seng rose 7.29 points or 0.03 percent to end at 24,327.70.

Singapore's Straits Times gained 8.74 points or 0.28 percent to end at 3,126.93. South Korea's KOSPI went up 4.42 points or 0.2 percent to end at 2,172.72. Taiwan's TAIEX gained 8.08 points or 0.08 percent to end at 9,930.74.