Asia-Pacific markets traded mostly higher Monday as investors assessed Japan's Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba's resignation announcement over the weekend, as well as China exports data.

Japan's benchmark Nikkei 225 rose 1.45% to close at 43,643.81 following the prime minister's statement, which came after weeks of mounting pressure over his national election defeat late last year. The Topix climbed 1.06% to close at a record high of 3,138.2.

Koizumi Shinjiro, the agricultural minister and son of a former prime minister, is a likely contender to take the helm, Stefan Angrick, head of Japan and frontier markets economics at Moody's Analytics said in a Monday note. Meanwhile, Sanae Takaichi, protege of the late Prime Minister Abe Shinzo and a runner-up in last year's party contest,

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