Asia Markets: Asian markets mixed amid global geopolitical uncertainty

Asian stocks were mixed in early trading Thursday as investors remained cautious amid a spate of worldwide geopolitical concerns, including President Donald Trump’s summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, U.S.-China trade talks, testimony by former Trump lawyer Michael Cohen, Brexit and conflict between India and Pakistan.

Japan’s Nikkei NIK, -0.79%   slipped 0.3%, while Hong Kong’s Hang Seng HSI, -0.47%   rose slightly. In mainland China, the Shanghai Composite SHCOMP, -0.44%   fell about 0.3% on disappointing factory-activity data, while the smaller-cap Shenzhen Composite 399106, +0.35%   rose about 0.2%. South Korea’s Kospi SEU, -1.76%   fell 0.5%, weighed by falling tech stocks, and benchmarks in Taiwan Y9999, -0.02%   and Indonesia JAKIDX, -0.23%   dropped as well.

Read: China’s factory activity drops to lowest level in 3 years

Among individual stocks, robotics maker Fanuc 6954, -2.12%   fell in Tokyo trading, while oil producer Inpex 1605, +0.00%   gained. AIA Group 1299, +1.88%   and HSBC 0005, +0.16%   rose in Hong Kong, while Apple AAPL, +0.31%   supplier AAC 2018, -3.44%   continued its losing streak. Samsung 005930, -3.53%   and SK Hynix 000660, -5.02%  slumped in Korea, following a decline in U.S. semiconductor stocks. Mining giant Rio Tinto RIO, +1.09%   and Beach Energy BPT, +0.48%   gained in Australia.

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