China stocks edged lower on Tuesday with yuan’s recent weakness affecting investor sentiment, while focus was also on policy support for the country’s struggling property sector.
The yuan eased against the dollar, after a sharp bounce the previous day, pressured by underlying expectations that easier monetary policy at home and broad greenback strength will lead to more weakness in the local currency.
Chinese regulators are pushing banks to speed up approvals of new loans to cash-starved private property developers, people with knowledge of the matter said on Monday.
** At the midday break on Tuesday, the Shanghai Composite index 
000001 was down 0.38% at 3,014.90 points.
** China’s blue-chip CSI300 index 3399300 was down 0.04%, with its financial sector sub-index 3399914 higher by 0.64%, the consumer staples sector 0000912 up 0.82%, the real estate index 
000952 down 0.06% and the healthcare sub-index 
399913 down 0.78%.
** Chinese H-shares listed in Hong Kong 
HSCEI rose 0.17% to 5,764.42, while the Hang Seng index 
HSI was down 0.08% at 16,461.11.
** The smaller Shenzhen index 
399106 was down 0.54%, the startup board ChiNext Composite index 3399006 was unchanged and Shanghai’s tech-focused STAR50 index (.STAR50) was down 1.28%.
** Around the region, MSCI’s Asia ex-Japan stock index (.MIAPJ0000PUS) was firmer by 0.01%, while Japan’s Nikkei index 
NI225 was up 0.04%.
** The yuan 
USDCNY was quoted at 7.2182 per U.S. dollar, 0.09% weaker than the previous close of 7.212.
** The biggest percentage gainers in the main Shanghai Composite index were Jiangsu Liance Electromechanical Technology 6688113, up 14.8%, followed by Beijing Dalong Weiye Real Estate Development 6600159, gaining 10.18%, and QingHai HuaDing Industrial 6600243, up 10.08%.
** The biggest percentage losers in the Shanghai index were Shanghai New Power Automotive Technology 
600841, down 10.048%, followed by AA Industrial Belting Shanghai 6603580, losing 9.997%, and Dali Pharmaceutical 6603963, down 9.977%.
