DEBORAH MARCHINI, CNN ANCHOR: We're going to take a look now at the Asian markets. Dalton Tanonaka is standing by in Hong Kong. He's going to tell us a little bit about how Tokyo was affected by some political changes today -- Dalton.</s>DALTON TANONAKA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi, good morning, Deborah. Much of the attention in Asia, as you might expect, was focused on the first appointments of Japan's new prime minister, Junichiro Koizumi. Financial markets welcomed the reappointment of the reform- minded chief of the Financial Services Agency, Yanagisawa Hakuo. But Mr. Koizumi surprised many by selecting a former transport and education minister as finance minister. Seventy-nine-year-old Masajuro Shiokawa is a relative unknown in Japanese politics, his appointment arousing suspicions that the new leader had difficulty in filling that post. The Nikkei on this trading day closed more than 1 percent firmer. Many investors in Hong Kong sat on the sidelines, but those who were trading were in a buying mood, adding onto Wednesday's modest gains. Most major China plays picked up ground for the third day, as analysts see China as less susceptible to the global slowdown than most Asian countries. Investors in Taipei remain cautious as they await the release of quarterly earnings from several big tech companies. The Weighted index closed with little change. That is the market day here in Asia, in a nutshell. Back to you, Deb, in New York.</s>MARCHINI: All right, Dalton, thank you.
Asian Market Update: Investors Look to Appointments of New Japanese Prime Minister