Shanghai's composite index pointed to minus 0.4 percent at lunch local time, while Shenzhen's composite index stood at plus 0.8 percent.
In Hong Kong, Hang Seng was down 0.7 percent at the same time.
In Tokyo, trading was cautious, with Nikkei 225 and the broader Topix index fluctuating around zero.
The stock exchanges in China had been closed earlier in the week due to the Chinese New Year.
The US's new tariffs, which include an additional 10 percent duty on goods imported from China, came into effect on Tuesday morning Swedish time. China has responded with its own trade tariffs of 10 percent, and 15 percent on coal and natural gas.
