TOKYO, Sept 12 (Reuters) - Asian stocks rose on Wednesday, led by resource shares such as BHP Billiton after U.S. crude hit a record closing high the previous day, but Japanese stocks and the yen slipped after Japan's embattled Prime Minister Shinzo Abe resigned.

Abe's ruling Liberal Democratic Party suffered an election drubbing in July and his support ratings have been floundering amid a row over pensions and a series of financial scandals involving cabinet ministers.

Analysts said that the yen and Japanese stocks would remain under selling pressure until Abe's successor is announced. They added that political uncertainty would support the JGB market, which rose on the news.

"One of the reasons why Japanese stocks have been underperforming, compared to other global markets, was political uncertainty," said Hiroshi Motoki, managing director and chief investment officer at AIG Global Investment Corp in Japan.

"The news will add another negative factor."

At 0455 GMT, the Nikkei stocks average traded 0.2 percent lower. The dollar traded at 114.25 after hitting the day's high 114.40 yen after initial reports of Abe's impending resignation.

Japanese government bond futures climbed 0.24 point to the day's high of 136.34, erasing earlier losses.

On the whole, Asian stocks were boosted on expectations of a U.S. interest rate cut next week, which kept the dollar hovering near a record low versus the euro and at a 15-year low against a basket of currencies.

Investors also took comfort from upbeat outlooks from U.S. technology companies such as No. 2 disk-drive maker, Western Digital, and solid sales from McDonald's Corp that sparked a rally on Wall Street and helped offset worries about the health of the world's biggest economy.

MSCI's measure of Asia Pacific stocks excluding Japan climbed 0.4 percent, adding to Tuesday's 0.7 percent rise.

The MSCI index has risen around 19 percent from a five-month trough plumbed on Aug. 17, and is now just 5 percent below the July 24 record high.

Australia's S&P/ASX index climbed 0.2 percent, while Hong Kong's Hang Seng Index rose 1 percent.

Chinese stocks slipped 0.7 percent, extending losses after posting their biggest drop in two months on Tuesday, on concerns about rising inflation and tighter monetary policy after consumer inflation jumped to a 10-year high.

CRUDE LEADS COMMODITIES

In favour were energy firms such as Japan's Nippon Oil Corp and Australia's Santos after U.S. crude closed at a record high of $78.23 on Tuesday, not far off the life high of $78.77 set on Aug. 1. It is currently trading at $78.30.

The rise in oil came after an OPEC deal to ramp up production failed to calm concerns about thinning world inventories, which in turn helped boost base metals.

Miner BHP Billiton rose 1.7 percent after London copper jumped more than 4 percent on Tuesday and Shanghai copper also rose, boosted by the weak dollar.

Gold miners including Lihir Gold powered ahead after the precious metal hit 16-month highs above $714 an ounce on bearish sentiment toward the dollar and chart-based buying. At 0215 GMT, spot gold was at $710.30.

DOLLAR, YEN DOWN

Among the major currencies, the euro was the best performer after European Central Bank Executive Board member Juergen Stark insisted interest rate rises had not been abandoned.

Stark said on Tuesday the ECB had to remain "very vigilant" on inflation developments, comments which suggested the ECB may press ahead with tightening borrowing costs once the current market volatility abates.

"Amid strengthening expectations for interest rates to be cut in the United States, interest rate differentials in the United States and the euro zone seem likely to narrow," said a trader at a Japanese trust bank.

"It looks like the euro will continue to be well supported."

The euro traded at $1.3845 little changed from late New York levels, but near a record high of $1.3853 set on electronic trading platform EBS in July.

Against the yen, the single currency traded near the day's high around 158.15 yen.

The dollar's trade-weighted index against six major currencies stood at 79.652, near a 15-year low of 79.603 plumbed on Tuesday.