Hong Kong stocks fall on tech declines after India bans more apps

** Leading the retreat, the Hang Seng tech index slumped 2.6%, posting its worst session since Aug. 10. ** India on Wednesday banned another 118 mobile apps including Tencent Holdings' popular videogame PUBG and Xiaomi's ShareSave, as it stepped up the pressure on Chinese technology companies.

Hong Kong stocks ended lower on Thursday, weighed by technology companies after India banned Chinese apps following a standoff with Beijing at the border.

** The Hang Seng index fell 0.5% to 25,007.60, while the China Enterprises Index slipped 0.6% to 9,940.13. ** Leading the retreat, the Hang Seng tech index slumped 2.6%, posting its worst session since Aug. 10.

** India on Wednesday banned another 118 mobile apps including Tencent Holdings' popular videogame PUBG and Xiaomi's ShareSave, as it stepped up the pressure on Chinese technology companies. ** Shares of Chinese smartphone maker Xiaomi Corp tumbled as much as 8.4% to snap a six-session winning streak, while Tencent closed down 2%.

** The ban was announced a day after a senior Indian official said troops were deployed on four strategic hilltops after what New Delhi called an attempted Chinese incursion along a disputed Himalayan border. ** Also adding to the selling pressure were persistent Sino-U.S. tensions.

** The United States said on Wednesday it would now require senior Chinese diplomats to get State Department approval before visiting U.S. university campuses or holding cultural events with more than 50 people outside mission grounds. ** In a bright spot was news that Hong Kong will re-open gyms and massage parlours and extend night-time dining hours from Friday, as new daily infections in the Asian financial hub drop into the single digits.

** Around the region, MSCI's Asia ex-Japan stock index gained 0.24%, while Japan's Nikkei index closed up 0.94%. ** The yuan was quoted at 6.8355 per U.S. dollar at 0833 GMT, 0.03% higher than the previous close of 6.8375.

** At close, China's A-shares were trading at a premium of 42.61% over Hong Kong-listed H-shares.

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)