Asian stocks outside Japan rose, with a regional benchmark index heading for a four-day rally, as Hong Kong stocks extended yesterday’s gains amid optimism China’s economic reforms will boost growth.

Nikkei 225 15,126.56 -37.74 -0.25%

S&P/ASX 200 5,352.9 -31.76 -0.59%

Shanghai Composite 2,193.13 -4.09 -0.19%

China Life Insurance Co., the nation’s biggest insurer, rose 5.2 percent in Hong Kong after Citigroup Inc. named the company as one of the beneficiaries of Communist Party reforms.

Olympus Corp. added 3 percent in Tokyo on a newspaper report the company will increase endoscope production capacity by 30 percent.

Commonwealth Property Office Fund jumped 5 percent in Sydney after the Australian property fund received a higher competing bid.

Honda Motor Co., which gets 83 percent of its revenue outside of Japan, lost 1 percent as the yen gained.