The pan-European Stoxx 600 was up around 0.46 percent shortly after the opening bell, with most sectors and major bourses in positive territory.

As the latest G-20 summit draws closer, investors continue to closely monitor simmering tensions between the world's two largest economies. Earlier this week, President Donald Trump told the Wall Street Journal that it was "highly unlikely" Washington would delay from increasing tariff levels to 25 percent on $200 billion of Chinese goods.

·       European shares will move in a tight range going into the year-end and throughout 2019, a Reuters poll showed, as slowing growth, political risks and worries over Washington’s protectionist policies keep investors on the sidelines.

The pan-European STOXX 600 benchmark index is expected to reach 365 points by year-end, according to the poll of 27 brokers, fund managers and analysts, 1.9 percent above Monday’s close of 358 points but6.2 percent down on the year.

·       Asian shares posted modest gains on Wednesday on hopes Beijing will take steps to support the economy and as investors tried to decipher conflicting signals on prospects for de-escalating the Sino-U.S. trade dispute.

MSCI’s broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan gained 0.7 percent, led by advance in Taiwan and China.

·       Japan’s Nikkei rose for a fourth day on Wednesday, supported by buying of large cap stocks such as Fast Retailing which offset weakness in airlines.

The Nikkei share average ended up 1.0 percent at 22,177.02 points, the highest close since Nov. 12.

·       Japanese stocks will be largely flat in 2018 and then rise over 3 percent next year, in part supported by cheap valuations, but gains will be limited by a global economy hit by trade disputes, a Reuters poll found.

·       China’s main equity indexes ended higher Wednesday, with blue-chips snapping a four-day losing streak amid cautious hopes for a de-escalation of Sino-U.S. trade tensions and as bargain-hunting investors expect to see results from government support.

At the close, the Shanghai Composite index was up 1.1 percent at 2,601.74 points.