Asian Shares Decline On Big Tech Selloff

(RTTNews) - Asian stocks fell broadly on Thursday as tech shares came under heavy selling pressure on signs of worsening trade tensions between the China and the United States.

Media reports suggested that Washington was mulling tighter curbs on exports of advanced semiconductor technology to China.

Separately, Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump suggested Taiwan should pay the U.S. for defense in a controversial interview.

The dollar lingered near four-month low in Asian trade after the Japanese yen scaled a six-week high, sparking speculation of official intervention.

Gold edged neared to record highs on U.S. rate cut speculation while oil extended gains from the previous session after a drop in U.S. crude stockpiles.

China's Shanghai Composite index rose 0.48 percent to 2,977.13 and Hong Kong's Hang Seng index edged up 0.22 percent to 17,778.41 as China's ruling Communist Party wrapped up a top-level meeting, with investors expecting policies to help revive growth.

Japanese markets tumbled amid a sell-off in the tech sector. Also, the yen's strengthening against the dollar dragged export-oriented issues.

The Nikkei average slumped 2.36 percent to 40,126.35 while the broader Topix index fell 1.60 percent to 2,868.63.

Tokyo Electron, which ships advanced semiconductor technology to China, plunged 8.8 percent. Screen Holdings lost 8.4 percent, Advantest gave up 4.9 percent and SoftBank Group shed 6.1 percent.

Investors ignored data that showed Japan posted a trade surplus in June for the first time in three months.

Seoul stocks ended lower, with the Kospi average falling 0.67 percent to 2,824.35, dragged down by tech stocks.

SK Hynix shares fell 3.6 percent and automaker Hyundai Motor declined 3 percent while shipbuilder Samsung Heavy Industries rose 1.3 percent.

Australian markets fell from a record high reached in the previous session as data showed employment jumped beyond expectations in June, sparking fears of rate hikes.

The benchmark S&P/ASX 200 dropped 0.27 percent to 8,036.50, with banks and tech stocks pacing the declines. The broader All Ordinaries index settled 0.37 percent lower at 8,272.70.

Domino's Pizza Enterprises plunged 8.2 percent after the company reported a weak outlook for its store growth.

Across the Tasman, New Zealand's benchmark S&P/NZX-50 index inched up 0.30 percent to 12,329.44.

U.S. stocks ended mixed overnight as shares of chipmakers and large-cap companies retreated on valuation concerns.

In economic releases, data showed housing starts and building permits recovered in June. A measure of U.S. industrial production cooled in the month but still exceeded analyst expectations.

The tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite plummeted 2.8 percent amid talk of tougher rules to rein in China's chip industry and Trump's comments that Taiwan should pay the U.S. for defence. The S&P 500 tumbled 1.4 percent while the Dow rose 0.6 percent.