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HA NOI (Biz Hub) — The Hang Seng Index, on July 24, added 169.63 points to reach 24,141.50, breaching the psychologically important 24,000 barrier for the first time since December.

The improved results were because of HSBC data which showed Chinese manufacturing activity rising to its best level in 18 months. The Shanghai Composite Index also closed up 26.57 points to finish at 2,105.06 in mainland China.

The Straits Times Index added 9.57 points to stand at 3,350.3 in Singapore.

Two bourses in Viet Nam also closed on a high. The VN index increased 4.26 points to close at 602.06 and the HNX added 0.07 points to close at 80.42 in the capital city.

Meanwhile the Nikkei 225 kept edging down 44.14 points to end at 15,284.42 and the Topix Index also closed down 2.53 points to end the day at 1,269.86 in Tokyo — VNS