[HONG KONG] Equity markets were mostly lower with investors tracking comments from US President Donald Trump saying he wanted to strike a full trade deal with Beijing, knocking hopes for a piecemeal agreement between the economic superpowers.
"I'm not looking for a partial deal. I'm looking for a complete deal," he told reporters at the White House.The remarks tempered recent optimism on the talks, though came as China hailed progress in preparatory discussions ahead of a planned high-level meeting next month."The hot and then cold and then hot and cold again US-China trade vibes continue to rattle markets," said Rodrigo Catril at National Australia Bank.
In early trade Hong Kong fell 0.4 per cent with China's Fosun International losing 1.3 per cent after British travel giant Thomas Cook - in which it is the top shareholder - collapsed. The 178-year-old firm had went under after failing to secure £200 million from private investors to keep it afloat.
Shanghai shed more than one per cent, while Singapore and Seoul each dropped 0.2 per cent. Taipei and Manila also fell, though there were small gains in Sydney, Wellington and Jakarta. Tokyo was closed for a holiday.