China and Hong Kong stocks started lower on Thursday as investors priced in heightened tensions around security and trade in a second Donald Trump presidency, with losses contained by expectations from a key Chinese leadership meeting.
China's blue-chip CSI300 Index opened down 0.9 per cent, while the Shanghai Composite Index lost 0.7 per cent. Hong Kong benchmark Hang Seng .HSI was down 0.7 per cent.
The drop was led by exporters. Stocks are expected to extend their decline in the days ahead as markets await US Congressional election results and brace for a Republican sweep which could give Trump greater sway over taxes and tariffs.
Hong Kong's Hang Seng, which is more indicative of foreign investor sentiment, fell 2.3 per cent on Wednesday. The Hang Seng China Enterprises Index opened 0.3 per cent weaker after it fell 2.6 per cent on Wednesday.
A threat by Trump, who has been elected as the next US president, to impose 60 per cent tariffs on US imports of Chinese goods, poses major growth risks for the world's second-largest economy.
Meanwhile, investors' attention shifted to the National People's Congress Standing Committee meeting which concludes on Friday. Any stimulus surprise from the meeting will likely help lift market sentiment in China stocks.
A US bribery indictment of Indian billionaire Gautam Adani is linked to one contract of Adani Green Energy that makes up some 10 per cent of its business, and no other firms in the conglomerate are accused of wrongdoing, the group's CFO said on Saturday.
The UAE government has launched the Know Your Customer (KYC) digital platform, aimed at providing accurate, confidential data for financial transactions.
Volkswagen's union said it was gearing up for strikes across German factories from December 1 after talks over wages and unprecedented factory closures at Europe's largest carmaker failed to achieve a breakthrough on Thursday.
A UAE delegation headed by the Assistant Minister for Economic and Trade Affairs, Saeed Mubarak Al Hajeri, conducted meetings with prominent companies in Finland during an official visit.
A UAE delegation, led by the Assistant Foreign Minister for Advanced Science and Technology, Omran Sharaf, concluded a two-day visit to Ireland's capital for talks on strengthening science, technology, and trade partnerships.