Taiwan stocks edged higher on Tuesday as falling oil prices spurred buying in transportation shares, with the main index on track for a 2014 gain of around 8 percent. As of 0135 GMT, the main TAIEX index rose 17.90 points to 9304.18, after closing up 0.7 percent on Monday.
Shares in shipper Yang Ming Marine Transport Corp jumped 4.3 percent, while Taiwanese airline EVA Airways Corp climbed 1.6 percent on hopes that lower fuel prices should help bolster the bottomline for oil-reliant transport stocks. Crude oil prices have tumbled to five-year lows. Taiwan's financial markets will be shut Thursday and Friday, and reopen on Monday.