China's manufacturing and services activity both expanded at a slower pace in April, official surveys showed on Tuesday, suggesting some loss of momentum for the world's second-biggest economy at the start of the second quarter.

Rapid disinflation and resilient growth will help Asia Pacific achieve a "soft landing" even though economic expansion is expected to slow over the next two years, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) said on Tuesday.

Asian stocks inched higher on Tuesday as investors awaited a slew of economic data, corporate earnings and the U.S. Federal Reserve's policy meeting, while the yen was slightly weaker a day after suspected intervention rescued it from 34-year lows.

Oil edged down in early trade on Tuesday after Israel-Hamas ceasefire talks in Cairo helped quell market fears of an expanded conflict in the Middle East, while worries about the outlook for U.S. interest rates weighed on the market.

The yen held its line against the dollar on Tuesday after making sharp gains the previous day in moves that traders said were sparked by suspected intervention by Japanese authorities.

Asian stocks got off to a positive start on Monday ahead of the Federal Reserve's policy meeting later in the week, while the dollar broke past the psychologically key level of 160 yen for the first time in decades.