BANGKOK, Dec 8, (AP): Shares are mixed in Asia as investors tread cautiously ahead of an interest rate decision this week by the Federal Reserve. US futures and oil prices rose. Flaring Japan-China tensions also were weighing on sentiment, as traders remained cautious. Japan and Australia urged calm on Sunday after Chinese military aircraft locked radar on Japanese fighter jets, weeks after a remark about Taiwan by Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi stirred tensions with Beijing.

Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi said Japan had formally protested the incident, calling it "an extremely regrettable” act and "a dangerous” one that "exceeded the scope necessary for safe aircraft operations.” Tokyo's Nikkei 225 index slipped 0.2% to 50,581.94 after the government reported revised government data showing that Japan’s economy contracted at an annual pace of 2.3% in the July-September period, not the 1.8% annual rate earlier reported.

Japanese exports suffered from the impact of US President Donald Trump’s tariffs and public investments slipped. Chinese markets were mixed, with Hong Kong's Hang Seng falling 0.9% to 25,841.21, while the Shanghai Composite index gained 0.6% to 3,926.47. Chinese leaders convened a major annual economic policy planning conference, as the government reported that China's global exports rose 5.9% in November from a year earlier, surpassing $1 trillion so far this year.

Exports to the US sank 29% year-on-year, while shipments to other destinations helped offset that decline. Elsewhere in Asia, South Korea's Kospi added 1.3% to 4,154.85, while Taiwan's benchmark jumped 1.2%. In Australia, the S&P/ASX 200 shed 0.1% to 8,624.40. On Friday, the S&P 500 added 0.2% and finished just shy of its record closing level set in October. It briefly topped that level during the day, before paring its gain and closing at 6,870.40.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average added 0.2% to 47,954.99, and the Nasdaq composite gained 0.3% to 23,578.13. The modest moves capped a quiet week for Wall Street, offering a respite following weeks of sharp and scary swings. Ulta Beauty helped lead the market and jumped 12.7% after the retailer reported stronger profit and revenue for the latest quarter than expected. Victoria’s Secret & Co. soared 18% after it delivered a milder loss for the latest quarter than analysts expected.