HSI Slips Below 28,000 Mark On Trade Talk Jitters

Hong Kong stocks fell on Friday morning with US officials due to meet President Xi Jinping in key trade talks in Beijing, as data showed the mainland's January inflation came in slower than expected.

The Hang Seng Index shed 1.6 percent, to 27,964 by the break.

On the mainland, the Shanghai Composite Index lost 0.3 percent to 2,712, while the Shenzhen Composite Index opened 0.2 percent lower at 1,396.

Most other Asian markets retreated over Wall Street slide overnight which was hit by weak US retail sales.

Tokyo dropped 1.2 percent while Seoul, Taipei, Wellington and Jakarta all posted losses too, though Sydney edged up.

Markets were jittery after multiple reports said there had been little progress on thorny issues such as US demands that China crack down on forced technology transfers and reduce subsidies that favour domestic companies.

Meanwhile data released on Friday showed factory and consumer price inflation on the mainland rose at a slower rate.

The weak producer prices were "a concern since these are highly correlated with profit growth in industry", Julian Evans-Pritchard of Capital Economics said in a research note. (AFP)

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