The last trading day of the week on the Asian stock exchanges has begun with relative calm.
In China, the stock markets are moving in different directions. Technology-heavy Shenzhen is up about 0.5 percent, while Shanghai is down 0.1 percent. The Hong Kong-based Hang Seng is seeing a more pronounced decline, with a lunchtime loss of 1.1 percent.
The Nikkei 225 in Tokyo is down 0.9 percent and the broader Topix is down 1.0 percent.
The Kospi in South Korea's Seoul is down 0.5 percent.
