Asia markets close mixed as investors assess China’s RatingDog manufacturing data

Asia-Pacific markets traded mixed Monday as investors assessed China’s RatingDog manufacturing data for August. The metric came in at 50.5, compared to a contraction of 49.5 the month before.

Data released Sunday showed that the country’s manufacturing PMI data came in at 49.4 in August, compared to 49.3 the month before.

Investors are also assessing the developments in India and China relations, after leaders from both countries agreed that they are development partners, not rivals, during a two-day meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization regional security bloc. In his opening remarks at the summit, Chinese President Xi Jinping urged SCO members to strengthen artificial intelligence cooperation, while rejecting what he called a “Cold War mentality.”

Hong Kong’s Hang Seng index rose 2.17% to 25,617.42, with gains led by Alibaba Group, which jumped 18.58%, CSPC Pharmaceutical Group which advanced 9.53% and WuXi Biologics which gained 8.37%.

Meanwhile, mainland China’s CSI 300 moved up 0.6% in choppy trade to close at 4,523.71.

In Japan, the Nikkei 225 pared losses to end the day 1.24% lower at 42,188.79. Losses were led by semiconductor makers Advantest, which plunged 7.92%, Disco Corp, which declined 7.71% and  Socionext, which dropped 6.32%.

Meanwhile, Japan’s broader Topix index fell 0.39% to 3,063.19.

Over in South Korea, the Kospi index fell 1.35% to end the day at 3,142.93, while the small-cap Kosdaq lost 1.49% to 785.

Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 benchmark retreated 0.51% to 8,927.70.

Over in India, the benchmark Nifty 50 added 0.66%, while the BSE Sensex index moved up 0.6% as of 1:35 p.m. Indian Standard Time (4:05 a.m. ET). 

Investors were also assessing a U.S. federal appeals court ruling that most of U.S. President Donald Trump’s “reciprocal tariffs are illegal.”

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit ruled on Friday that Trump had overstepped his presidential authority by imposing levies on virtually every country in the world as part of his April 2 “liberation day” announcement.

Over on Wall Street, stocks fell Friday as new inflation data showed rising prices were still a risk heading into the new month.

The broad-based S&P 500 ended the day 0.64% lower at 6,460.26, but still scored its fourth winning month in a row. The Nasdaq Composite shed 1.15% to finish at 21,455.55, while the Dow Jones Industrial Average lost 92.02 points, or 0.20%, to settle at 45,544.88.

U.S. markets are closed Monday for the Labor Day public holiday.

— CNBC’s Sean Conlon and Brian Evans contributed to this report.