In Hong Kong, the Hang Seng Index was down 0.6 percent just before lunchtime local time.
Shenzhen’s composite index, on the other hand, went up and was at plus 1.4 percent in the morning. In Shanghai, too, the composite index rose by 0.7 percent.
There was also a more negative mood on the Tokyo Stock Exchange. The Nikkei 225 index was down 0.1 percent just before lunchtime local time, and the Topix index had retreated 0.4 percent.