Major stock indexes in the Asia-Pacific region traded mixed during the afternoon session on Monday after the People's Bank of China (PBoC) held its key interest rate unchanged. Additionally, the ongoing trade war between the United States and China captured investors' attention as Beijing vowed to retaliate if Washington pressures other countries to sever their trade relations with China, as media reports suggested.
South Korea's Kospi traded flat at 7:14 am CET while Japan's Nikkei 225 dropped 1.23%. In mainland China, the Shanghai Composite climbed by 0.33% and the Shenzhen Composite rose by 1.10% at 7:15 am CET. Markets in Hong Kong and Australia were closed for Easter Monday.
The dollar lost 1.17% compared to the yen at 7:16 am CET, selling for 140.72750.
