The Hang Seng has slipped 114 points to 22,600. The Nikkei has shed 205 points at 13,645.
The Seoul Composite index is down seven points at 1,704.
The Taiwan Weighted index has gained 55 points at 7,793. The Straits Times index is up eight points at 2,970, and the Shanghai Composite index has surged 70 points to 2,873.