MSCI's broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan .MIAPJ0000PUS was near flat and futures pointed to a slightly firmer opening for the main European bourses.
• Japanese stocks fell to their lowest in more than four months on Wednesday as rising geopolitical tensions dragged all sectors into negative territory, with exporters hit especially hard as the safe haven yen spiked to a five-month high.
The Nikkei 225 share average dropped 1.3 percent to 18,506.17 in midmorning trade after falling to as low as 18,460.59 earlier, the lowest level since Dec. 7.
• China and Hong Kong stocks edged lower on Wednesday morning, with risk appetites curbed by rising geopolitical tensions as well as softer China producer inflation data that could spur worries on sustainability of the country's economic recovery.
China's CSI300 index was down 0.1 percent, to 3,515.55 points, by the lunch break, while the Shanghai Composite Index lost 0.3 percent, to 3,278.53 points.
In Hong Kong, the Hang Seng index dropped 0.2 percent, to 24,046.47 points, and the Hong Kong China Enterprises Index shed 0.5 percent, to 10,114.10.
Reference: Reuters
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