Asian stock markets were lower on Tuesday as investors awaited monetary policy announcements from central banks and the outcome of China's economic planning meeting,AP reported. Japan's Nikkei 225 fell 0.8 percent to 18,790.13 and South Korea's Kospi slipped 0.5 percent to 2,037.58. Hong Kong's Hang Seng dropped 0.7 percent to 22,951.61 and Shanghai Composite Index in mainland China slid 1.8 percent to 3,367.28. Stocks in Southeast Asia, Taiwan and Australia also were lower. Chinese leaders began a five-day meeting on Monday to set goals for the world's second-largest economy for the next five years. The Communist Party leaders are expected to redouble their efforts to shift China's reliance on trade and investment to more self-sustaining growth driven by domestic consumption. Whether China's growth target would be lowered or not is a point of hot debate, Mizuho Bank said in a daily commentary, following Chinese Premier Li Keqiang's remark that communist leaders will accept growth below their official target of "about 7 percent." -- SPA 11:53 LOCAL TIME 08:53 GMT تغريد
