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Asia stocks were mixed on Wednesday with oil prices a key factor as Japan returned from a long holiday. Japan's benchmark Nikkei edged up 0.4 percent (14102.48) as resource-related shares jumped on soaring oil prices. Crude prices stood near 122 -dollars a barrel after hitting a new record high earlier in the week. Tokyo oil firms such as Inpex gained. But Chinese refiners such as PetroChina fell sharply by midday as high oil prices increased their operating costs. Chinese stocks fell more than one percent at midday as inflationary concerns continue to worry investors. Banking shares such as ICBC were among the worst hit. But the bank made headlines for getting approval to set up a local unit in the booming Gulf state of Dubai. In Australia, gold shares climbed along with precious metals. The nation's largest gold miner BHP Billiton powered higher as investors looked for hedges against inflation. Kitty Bu, reporting for Reuters. COMPANIES MENTIONED: SYMBOLS: