【英语财经】中国股市周一早盘大跌近4% Chinese market down 3%, leads regional sell-off

Asian markets failed to start the new year on a positive note, with Chinese shares falling more than 3 per cent as the country’s central bank allowed the currency to weaken again and data underscored weakness in its manufacturing sector.

The People’s Bank of China set the reference rate around which the renminbi is allowed to trade weaker for a fifth straight session. The rate was “fixed” 0.2 per cent weaker at Rmb6.5032 per dollar this morning, the first time it has been allowed to depreciate beyond Rmb6.50 since May 24, 2011.

There was more disappointing data out on China’s manufacturing sector, with the privately-produced Caixin/Markit survey showing activity contracted in December. The index slipped to 48.2 last month, from 48.6 in November, and was weaker than economists expected.

The news was carving a chunk out of regional markets. China’s Shanghai Composite was down 3.1 per cent within the first hour of trade, while the tech-focused Shenzhen Composite was down 4.2 per cent. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng was down 2.1 per cent.

Economists at ANZ remained hopeful that other parts of China’s economy may be able to offset weakness in the manufacturing sector and prop up overall growth.

“As the PMI has remained below 50 in Q4 2015, GDP growth in Q4 is unlikely to have improved from Q3. Weak manufacturing will likely have weighed on growth. However, as observed in Q2 and Q3, the strong performance of the services industry, especially in the financial sector, may have offset some of the weakness from manufacturing,” ANZ noted.

Declines for Japan’s Nikkei blew out in mid-morning trade, leaving the benchmark down 2.6 per cent, while Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 reversed early gains to be down 0.3 per cent by lunchtime in Sydney.

Korea’s Kospi was down 1.6 per cent. Separately, a Nikkei/Markit PMI survey showed the country’s manufacturing sector expanded in December, with the index rising to 50.7 last month from 49.1 in November.

亚洲股市未能在新年伊始迎来开门红。随着中国央行允许人民币汇率继续走弱，加上中国制造业数据凸显疲软，A股市场下跌逾3%。

中国人民银行(PBoC)连续第五个交易日削弱人民币汇率，自2011年5月以来第一次将每日人民币汇率“设置”在6.5美元“之上”。这一汇率设置令人民币兑美元汇率下降0.15个百分点，至6.5032。

中国制造业方面的数据更令人失望。财新(Caixin)Markit制造业采购经理人指数(PMI)12月为48.2，低于11月的48.6。经济学家原本预计12月指数为48.9。数字显示，中国制造业在2015年最后一个月加快收缩步伐。

上述消息令该地区市场遭受不小打击。中国上证综指开盘一小时内下跌3.1%，截至上午收盘下跌3.9%；关注科技产业的深证成指中午收于下跌5.1%；香港恒生指数收盘时下跌2.3%。

澳新银行(ANZ)经济学家仍持乐观态度，认为中国经济其他行业或许可以抵消制造业疲软，并支撑整体经济增长。

澳新银行指出：“由于2015年第四季度采购经理人指数(PMI)仍低于50，因此第四季度国内生产总值(GDP)增长相较第三季度不太可能有所改善。疲弱的制造业将很可能拖累增长数据。但是根据第二季度和第三季度的观察，服务业，尤其是金融业的强劲表现或许能部分抵消制造业疲软。”

日经指数(Nikkei)早盘交易下跌2.6%，澳大利亚S&P/ASX 200指数在悉尼午间时分冲高回落0.3个百分点。

韩国Kospi指数下跌1.6个百分点。尽管根据日经Markit采购经理人指数(PMI)调查显示，12月韩国制造业呈扩张态势，PMI指数为50.7,高于11月的49.1。

译者/何黎