Asian stock markets mixed after China data
Asian markets mixed as China trade fell more than expected. Asia-Pacific markets were mixed on Tuesday after China’s July trade came in lower than expected. China’s exports fell 14.5 percent year-on-year, while imports fell 12.4 percent year-on-year. Economists had expected exports to fall 12.5 percent and imports to fall 5 percent. Mainland Chinese markets were more mixed, with Hong Kong’s Hang Seng index falling 0.87 percent. The Shanghai Composite Index fell 0.2 percent, but the Shenzhen Component Index rose marginally. Japan’s Nikkei 225 rose 0.31 percent, while the Topix rose 0.32 percent as the country’s household spending remained in negative territory for a fourth straight month. Overall household spending fell 4.2 percent year-on-year in June, compared with 4 percent in May, official data showed. Australia's S&P/ASX 200 rose 0.19 percent, while South Korea's Kospi rose marginally and the Kosdaq fell 0.43 percent.