Asian Markets React as US-China Trade Tensions Escalate

The Asian markets fell on Tuesday after the US President Donald Trump raised tariffs on Chinese imports – and Beijing threatened with a response.

Japan's important Nikkei 225 was down 1.8 percent at lunchtime, while the broader Topix index fell 1 percent.

Hong Kong's Hang Seng index fell 0.5 percent and Shanghai's composite index fluctuated just below zero. Shenzhen's composite index, on the other hand, was up 0.2 percent.