Asia shares mixed as data showed China's consumer inflation surged in November

On Tuesday, major Asian markets were mixed as China's inflation data showed a surge in consumer prices in November.

Mainland Chinese stocks recovered from their earlier slip to finish the trading day higher. The Shanghai Composite was fractionally higher at about 2,917.32. 

Shares in China's Postal Savings Bank rose 2% in their Shanghai debut.

The Shenzhen component rose 0.4% to 9,915.87 to almost 1,646.82.

Hong Kong's Hang Seng index closed 0.22% lower at 26,436.62.

Chinese consumer inflation

According to the National Bureau of Statistics data on Tuesday, China's consumer inflation rose in November.

The Consumer Price Index (CPI) for November jumped 4.5% year-on-year, as food prices skyrocketed 19.1% amid an outbreak of African Swine fever.

Also, the Producer Price Index (PPI) in China dropped in the same month, 1.4% year-on-year.

Andrew Sullivan, of Pearl Bridge Partners, commented on the PPI's decline, saying, "The problem that they have certainly ... is the fact that this is very much, you know, a sign of global demand rather than just the demand within China itself."

Sullivan who is a director at the firm told CNBC on Tuesday, 

"So much of it now really comes down to, you know, the trade dispute and the effect that that's having on global supply and demand," 

"There's only a limited amount that really China can do in the short-term concerning this," he added, with the market's "main focus" likely to remain around the prospect of a trade deal between China and the US.

Elsewhere, Japan's Nikkei 225 dropped slightly to close at 23,410.19.

The Topix index dipped fractionally to end its trading day at 1,720.77. 

Shares of game maker Nintendo surged 2.86% as the firm officially launched its Switch console in China. 

South Korea's Kospi rose 0.45% to close at 2,098.00.

Meanwhile, shares in Australia declined, with the S&P/ASX 200 closing 0.34% lower at 6,706.90.

Overall, the MSCI Asia ex-Japan traded 0.17% lower.