* U.S. stocks seen firmer with Dow index at a record level * Japan's Nikkei climbs to 5-year high on BOJ stimulus plan * Yen near multi-year lows vs major currencies, euro climbs NEW YORK, April 10 (Reuters) - Chinese import data sent stock markets around the world higher on Wednesday while Japan's economic stimulus package continued to weigh on the yen, sending it to a three-year low against the euro and a four-year low against the dollar. U.S. stocks also rose at the open, with the S&P 500 index hitting a record intraday high, though sentiment was slightly eroded by the Federal Reserve's unexpected decision to release the minutes of its latest policy-setting meeting much earlier than scheduled due to an earlier inadvertent partial release. But it was economic data from China that set the mostly positive tone early in the day as imports of key commodities rebounded in March, signaling domestic demand was picking up and would help drive the world's second-largest economy. "This is two pieces of Chinese economic data in a row that have proven positive," said Art Hogan, managing director of Lazard Capital Markets in New York. Data on Tuesday showed annual consumer inflation in China cooled last month. The Dow Jones industrial average rose 67.04 points or 0.46 percent, to 14,740.5, the S&P 500 gained 5.9 points or 0.38 percent, to 1,574.51 and the Nasdaq Composite added 12.36 points or 0.38 percent, to 3,250.21. The unexpected release of the Fed policy minutes did briefly rattle investors. A few U.S. Federal Reserve policymakers expected to taper the pace of asset purchases by midyear and end them later this year, while several others expected to slow the pace a bit later and halt the quantitative easing program by year-end, according to the minutes of the Fed's March meeting.. The MSCI all-world share index,, which tracks stocks in 45 countries, rose 0.6 percent to its highest level since March 18 while Japan's key Nikkei index ended 0.7 percent higher at its highest close since August 2008. In the currency markets, the yen hit a more than three-year low against the euro and edged closer to 100 to the dollar as it extended a slide triggered by the Bank of Japan's massive monetary easing plan unveiled last Thursday. The euro is being supported by speculation that Japanese investors, looking for higher returns as the BOJ action depresses domestic yields, may turn to euro zone bonds. The dollar was bid as the Fed minutes were seen as maintaining the bias to end measures to stoke economic growth. The euro was up 0.8 percent against the yen at 130.29 yen while the dollar was up 0.6 percent against the yen at 99.69 yen.

Source