Markets in Asia lost ground Tuesday, stepping back from their recent rally, with weak China trade data set to weigh.
Japan's benchmark Nikkei average ended Tuesday at its lowest in nearly one week, as a stronger yen kept investors on edge and hit the stocks of exporters.
The Nikkei closed down 0.8 percent at 16,783.15, its lowest closing level since March 2.
China stocks reversed losses and rose for a sixth straight session on Tuesday, as a sharp course-change for start-up board ChiNext and a late rally in banking stocks pulled main indexes out of negative territory in the last few minutes of trading.
Both the blue-chip CSI300 index and the Shanghai Composite Index erased early losses of more than 2 percent, and ended the day up 0.1 percent, at 3,107.67 points and 2,901.39 points, respectively.
Hong Kong shares were soft on Tuesday, as the mood of many Asia investors turned cautious in the wake of a month-long rally.
The Hang Seng index fell 0.7 percent, to 20,011.58, while the China Enterprises Index lost 1.4 percent, to 8505.22 points.
Hang Seng, the benchmark index, has bounced roughly 10 percent off 3-1/2 year lows hit on Feb 12, aided by a recovery in oil and commodity prices and reduced concern about the global economy.
But investors have grown increasingly wary of the market's near-term prospects ahead of policy meetings of the European Central Bank and the U.S. Federal Reserve.
Reference: CNBC, Reuters
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