Could Asian equities benefit from US government shutdown?

The majority of Asian markets have risen this morning despite no progress over talks aimed at ending the US government shutdown.

Asian stock exchanges were encouraged by improving economic data from China, with data this morning showing the service sector expanded at the fastest rate for six months in August. Non-manufacturing PMI rose to 55.4 in September, a rise from August's 53.9, according the the National Bureau of Statistics. The Hong Kong Hang Seng index is up by 0.85%, 195 points to 23,179 today. In Taiwan the TSEC weighted index (Taiex) closed up 1.73%, 142 points at 8,359. The rises come despite no sign of the deadlock being broken in the US, where key government services have been shut down since ...