HK, Mainland Stocks Lower In Early Trade

Hong Kong shares fell in early trade on Thursday, tracking a slump across world stock markets triggered by fears of a global slowdown and continuing jitters over worsening Sino-US relations.

The Hang Seng Index lost 0.6 percent to 27,072.

The Shanghai Composite Index slipped 0.4 percent to 2,903, while the Shenzhen Composite Index fell 0.3 percent to 1,537.

Elsewhere in the region, the Tokyo market was lower at the open, with investors worried about mounting tensions in the US-China trade row, and the Nikkei 225 index fell 0.6 percent to 20,882.

Investors were spooked on Wednesday after mainland state media dangled the threat of cutting exports of rare earths to the United States as a counter-strike in the trade war.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average closed down 0.9 per cent at 25,126, its lowest level in almost four months. (AFP)