Down on the Stock Exchange in Hong Kong

The development was mixed in the initial Tuesday trading on Asia's leading exchanges.

The Hang Seng index on the Hong Kong exchange pointed to a minus 1.4 percent just before lunch, local time.

In Tokyo, the mood was better, with the Nikkei 225 index at plus 0.5 percent and the broader Topix index at plus 0.8 percent.

In Shanghai, the composite index stood at minus 0.3 percent, while Shenzhen's equivalent was trading around zero.