Chinese equities rose sharply on Monday, led by tech shares, as plans for a new stock exchange in Beijing and a slew of market-friendly rhetoric from government officials boosted sentiment. Hong Kong shares also rose.
Chinese blue-chips slipped on Monday while Shanghai stocks rose slightly as market participants waited for purchasing manager surveys for manufacturing and services to see if a trend of slowing growth will continue.
Japan's Nikkei stock average extended its decline to a seven-month low on Friday, led by a slump in shares with strong link to the global economy, while Toyota Motor dragged its peers and affiliates lower.
Hong Kong stocks dropped over 2% to hit a more than nine-month low on Friday, while China shares also fell sharply on deepening concerns over the economic slowdown and Beijing's regulatory tightening.
Japanese shares bounced back on Wednesday, led by gains in Fujifilm and other defensive stocks, while concerns about Delta variant kept many investors on guard.