** China's blue-chip CSI300 Index closed down 0.1%, while the Shanghai Composite Index gained 0.4%.
** The Hong Kong benchmark Hang Seng Index was down 0.9%, and the China Enterprises Index declined 1.2%.
** Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen said on Wednesday that her
recent overseas trip, which included the United States, showed
the world Taiwan's determination to defend freedom and
democracy.
** Tsai's statements came after state media reported that
the Chinese navy continued with "actual combat training" around
Taiwan on Tuesday.
** Investors continue to weigh geopolitical tensions when making decisions. Warren Buffett called geopolical tensions "a consideration" in Berkshire Hathaway Inc's decision to sell most of its stake in Taiwanese chipmaker TSMC , according to Nikkei.
** Meanwhile, investors are closely watching the U.S.
consumer price index (CPI) as it will likely influence the
Federal Reserve's monetary policy path.
** Tech stocks traded in Hong Kong slumped 1.9%,
with Tencent Holdings Ltd and Alibaba Group Holding
Ltd down 5.2% and 3.3%, respectively.
** Chinese stocks were mixed, even though better-than-expected social financing data underscores strong credit expansion in March.
** "Further improvement of credit demand and the still
accommodative overall monetary policy stance contributed to the
fast credit growth," Goldman Sachs said in a note.
** Artificial intelligence (AI) related themes were
still fuelling the market, even as investors lost appetite for
consumer staples and tourism sectors.
** AI shares and the CSI Computer Index both jumped 2.9%, with Inspur Electronic Information Industry Co Ltd rising as much as 10%.
** Telecom shares soared 4.0%, with China United Network Communications Ltd and China Telecom Corp Ltd up 7.6% and 6.0%, respectively.
(Reporting by Shanghai Newsroom; Editing by Sonia Cheema)
