Asian Shares Mostly Higher In Cautious Trade CANBERA (dpa-AFX) - Asian stocks ended broadly higher on Thursday as investors reacted to Fed Chair Jerome Powell's dovish comments and U.S. President Joe Biden's congressional speech about increasing taxes on the rich. Japanese markets were closed for Showa Day. Chinese shares fluctuated before finishing higher after Biden said he told Chinese President Xi that 'we welcome the competition - and that we are not looking for conflict.' Biden also said he didn't seek worse relations with Russia. The benchmark Shanghai Composite index edged up 17.83 points, or 0.52 percent, to 3,474.90 while Hong Kong's Hang Seng index ended up 231.92 points, or 0.80 percent, at 29,303.26.