Hong Kong stocks closed below the 24,000 level on Tuesday, as the Bank of Japan's decision to slow the pace of its bond tapering and escalated Middle East conflicts dampened the market sentiment.
The benchmark Hang Seng Index closed 80 points or 0.34 percent lower at 23,980 points, with a main board turnover of HK$202.14 billion.
The Hang Seng Tech Index lost 8 points or 0.15 percent to 5,291.
The Bank of Japan kept interest rates steady on Tuesday and decided to decelerate the pace of its balance sheet drawdown next year, signaling its preference to move cautiously in removing remnants of its massive, decade-long stimulus.
The decision came as an escalating Middle East conflict and US tariffs complicate BOJ's task of raising still-low interest rates and reducing a balance sheet that has ballooned to roughly the size of Japan's economy.
Meanwhile, Beijing-based luxury jeweler Laopu Gold (6181) declined 6.7 percent to HK$881.50 and toy giant Pop Mart (9992) slid 6 percent to HK$258.40.
Chow Tai Fook (1929), the biggest loser on the main board, slumped 7.3 percent to HK$12.72.
Alibaba (9988) and Tencent (0700), recording the highest turnovers on the tech gauge, rose 1.7 percent and 0.8 percent, respectively.
In mainland China, the Shanghai Composite Index closed flat at 3,387 points, and the Shenzhen Component Index edged down 12 points to 10,151.
STAFF REPORTER AND REUTERS
