Most Asian stock markets lost ground. To the usual concerns about European debt and (non) American growth, apprehensions have been added on the front of the Sino-Japanese confrontation over the paternity of the Senkaku (in Japanese) or Diaoyu (in Chinese) islands off the coast of the China Sea.
Meanwhile energy-producing companies took to the Japanese Stock Exchange on news that Tokyo has no intention of blocking the construction of nuclear reactors. Notably, Hokuriku Electric Power, a player in the sector, climbed 6,7 percent. By contrast, BHP Billiton, the world's largest mining group, fell 1% in Sydney, triggering a decline that has characterized the entire sector, with the exception of Fortescue Metals Group, which grew an impressive 16% after managing to obtain $4,5 billion to refinance its bank loans. Honda Motor fell 1,7% after claiming damage to its Chinese plants amid the worst diplomatic crisis involving the two countries since 2005.
MSCI Asia Pacific Index slipped 0,1% to 123.36 as of 10:35am Tokyo, with four stocks down for every three up. The Nikkei 225 Stock Average was roughly unchanged, while South Korea's Kospi slipped 0,2% and Australia's S&P/ASX 200 fell 0,4%, Hang Seng lost 0,1% and the Chinese Shanghai Composite 0,8 percent.
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2012-09-17/australia-japan-stock-futures-little-changed-on-europe.html
