Asian stock closed mixed as Chinese lending data weighed on markets. Chinese banks made 702.5 billion yuan of new loans in August, missing expectations for 710 billion yuan, after 385.2 billion yuan in July.

Japanese stocks were driven by the weaker yen. The yen reached the lowest level since September 2008 against the U.S. dollar. The divergence between the monetary policies of the US and those of Japan weighed on the yen.

The Bank of Japan Governor Haruhiko Kuroda said to the Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on Thursday that the central bank is ready to expand monetary easing measures to reach 2 percent inflation target.

The industrial production in Japan increased 0.4% in July, exceeding expectations for a 0.2% rise, after a 0.2% gain in June.

Market participants continued to monitor tensions between Russia and Ukraine. The U.S. is joining the European Union in imposing new sanctions on Russia.

Indexes on the close:

Nikkei 225 15,948.29 +39.09 +0.25%

Hang Seng 24,595.32 -67.32 -0.27%

Shanghai Composite 2,331.95 +20.27 +0.88%