<p class="MsoNormal">Led by gains in Chinese shares, MSCI index of Asia-Pacific shares excluding Japan rose 0.6% to hit a record high to bring its gains in the current calendar year to 18.2%. Meanwhile, Japan’s benchmark index Nikkei lost 0.58% on its last trading day of 2020 but only after surging to a 30-year high on Tuesday. The benchmark has gained 15.8% in 2020.</p>
