Mainland Chinese stocks fell on Tuesday, led by non-ferrous metal shares, as investors kept an eye on Middle East tensions and awaited fresh policy signals from the annual Jackson Hole symposium later this week. Hong Kong equities also moved lower, according to a report by Reuters.
At the midday break, the Shanghai Composite was down 0.1%, while the blue-chip CSI300 index declined 0.5%. The Shenzhen index fell 0.3%, the ChiNext Composite dropped 1.43%, and the technology-focused STAR50 index slipped 0.64%.
Non-ferrous metal stocks were among the biggest decliners, with the sector sub-index falling 3.5% in morning trading following a decline in gold prices.
Investors are also focused on Federal Reserve Chairman Kevin Warsh's first speech at the Jackson Hole conference. His remarks are expected to attract attention as markets seek clues on monetary policy, the recent rise in bond yields, and the Fed's independence from the Trump administration.
Geopolitical concerns also remained in focus after Iran pledged to respond to expanded U.S. sanctions and said major trading partners would oppose Washington's pressure campaign.
Meanwhile, shares of Unitree, China's best-known humanoid robot maker, have fallen about 45% from their peak following a more than fivefold surge on their Shanghai debut. The sharp reversal has fueled concerns over valuations, retail investor losses, and weaknesses in China's IPO system.
In Hong Kong, the Hang Seng Index declined 0.3%, while the Hang Seng Tech Index fell 0.8%.
Morgan Stanley analysts said potential market catalysts could emerge around mid-September, citing improving U.S.-China relations ahead of President Xi Jinping's expected U.S. visit, expectations for additional fiscal support in China, and upcoming artificial intelligence-related developments from Hong Kong-listed hyperscalers and large language-model developers.
