Asian shares began the week under a cloud on Monday after losses on Wall Street, and as investors' attention turned from central banks to American politics ahead of the first U.S. presidential debate.
MSCI's broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan .MIAPJ0000PUS extended early losses and was down 0.7 percent by midday, while Japan's Nikkei stock index .N225 fell a similar amount as the yen firmed.
Japan's Nikkei fell on Monday, with a strong yen souring overall sentiment and Apple Inc's suppliers underperforming on worries about weak overseas iPhone sales, while some investors turned their focus to the U.S. presidential debate.
The Nikkei dropped 1.3 percent to 16,544.56.
China stocks dropped nearly 2 percent to a seven-week low on Monday, dampened by falls in the property sector and as Asian markets retreated after losses on Wall Street.
The blue-chip CSI300 index fell 1.7 percent, to 3,220.28, while the Shanghai Composite Index lost 1.8 percent to 2,980.43 points.
Hong Kong stocks suffered their biggest single-day drop in two weeks on Monday as the market's recent rally showed signs of fatigue.
The decline came after losses on Wall Street on Friday and as investors turned their attention to American politics ahead of the first U.S. presidential debate later on Monday.
The Hang Seng index fell 1.6 percent to 23,317.92 points, while the China Enterprises Index lost 1.7 percent to 9,629.35.
Reference: Reuters
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