China blue chips fall to 14-month low on tech selloff
HONG KONG: China and Hong Kong stocks fell on Tuesday as a selloff in AI-related shares swept across Asia, pushing China’s blue-chip index to its lowest in more than a year. At the midday break, the blue-chip CSI300 Index was down 0.6%, hitting its weakest level since August 2025, while the Shanghai Composite Index was down 0.3% at 3,787.16, a three-month low. Shanghai’s tech-focused STAR50 Index…
China and Hong Kong stocks plunged on Tuesday as a wave of selling in AI-related shares spread across Asia, dragging the country's blue-chip index to its lowest level in over a year. By midday, the CSI300 Index had declined 0.6%, reaching its weakest point since August 2025, while the Shanghai Composite Index slipped 0.3% to a three-month low of 3,787.16. The tech-focused STAR50 Index in Shanghai plummeted as much as 3.6% before recovering slightly to trade 0.7% lower, while the ChiNext Composite Index fell 0.1%.
The CSI AI Index saw its lowest level in six months, falling 0.9%, and the CSI Semiconductor Index dropped 0.5%, marking a sharp decline from its July peak. The decline in these sectors extended to more than 30% from July's highs. Despite reports of progress on its memory-chip design, China's Technology and Media Investment Trust (CXMT) fell as much as 5.3%, reaching its lowest point since July.
Industry analysts at Sinolink Securities noted that it's challenging to determine whether investors' concerns about the fundamentals of these tech shares have been fully factored in after the recent significant correction. They added that the US AI rally is cooling, which could hinder any near-term rebound in Chinese tech shares.
Other notable losers on Tuesday included new energy vehicle (NEV) stocks, which dropped after China announced it would reduce the value-added tax export rebate for such vehicles starting next April. The CSI New Energy Vehicle Index ended the morning session down 3.2%. In Hong Kong, the benchmark Hang Seng Index fell 0.4% to 24,176.05, while the Hang Seng Tech Index declined 1.5%.
Across the region, Asian stocks experienced a sharp decline as investors grew concerned about the sustainability of the AI rally and heightened competition. Japan's Nikkei index dropped 2.20%, and South Korea's KOSPI index plunged over 6%.
Written by urgent.news from Business Recorder's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
