According to CNBC’s calculations, Asian stock markets were some of the best performers globally in the first half of 2021. Here are the gains made by various indices: VN-Index; Vietnam 27.6%, Taiex, Taiwan 20.5%; Kospi, South Korea 14.7%. For comparison, the S&P 500 rose 14.4% in the first half of the year and Europe’s Stoxx 600 gained 13.5%.