華爾街受創衝擊亞洲金融市場

A stock market rout that started on Wall Street rolled through Asia, driving China's benchmark to a four-year low Thursday and knocking down indexes in Japan, Korea and Australia.

The Shanghai Composite index plunged 5.2 percent to its lowest level since November 2014, and Japan's Nikkei 225 fell by an unusually wide margin of almost 4 percent. Markets across Southeast Asia recorded similar declines. Hong Kong's Hang Seng index shed 3.7 percent to 25,220.67. The Kospi in South Korea fell 4.4 percent to 2,129.67. Stocks also plunged in Taiwan and fell across Southeast Asia.

On Wednesday, U.S. stocks slumped as concerns over rising interest rates and trade tensions caused a sell-off in technology and internet stocks. The Dow Jones Industrial Average suffered its worst loss in eight months, falling 3.1 percent to 25,598.74.

The S&P 500 index sank 3.3 percent to 2,785.68. The Nasdaq composite, which has a large contingent of technology stocks, was 4.1 percent lower at 7,422.05. It has fallen 7.5 percent in just five days.

Investors are wary of possible further U.S. interest rate hikes, which will raise the cost of corporate borrowing and weigh on economic growth.

President Donald Trump said the Federal Reserve “is making a mistake” with its campaign of rate increases. “I think the Fed has gone crazy,” he charged.

“Equity investors are surprised by the pace at which rates have risen,” said Marcella Chow, global market strategist at J.P. Morgan Asset Management in a report.

Sentiment also has been dampened by the spreading U.S.-Chinese tariff fight over Beijing's technology policy. The International Monetary Fund cut its outlook for global growth this week, citing interest rates and trade tensions.

The U.S. Treasury is to release a currency report that some analysts suggest might change the official stance on China's exchange rate policy. Chow said it was unclear whether the Treasury might label Beijing a “currency manipulator,” a status that could trigger penalties, or whether it could be “another pre-text for the next round of tariffs.”華爾街股市暴跌衝擊亞洲各地，導致週四中國的股指降至四年來的低點，也重挫日本、韓國、澳大利亞的股市。

中國的上證綜指下跌5.2％至2014年11月以來的最低水平，日本的日經指數則下跌近4％。香港恆生指數下跌3.7％至25,220.67點。韓國股指則下跌4.4％至2,129.67點。臺灣及東南亞股市也受到重挫。

星期三，美國股市由於投資人對利率上升和貿易緊張局勢的擔憂引發技術和互聯網股票的拋售，導致股市暴跌。道瓊斯工業平均指數遭遇八個月來最大跌幅，下跌3.1％至25,598.74點。

標準普爾指數下跌3.3％至2,785.68點。擁有大量科技股的納斯達克綜合指數下跌4.1％至7,422.05。納指在短短5天內下降了7.5％。

投資人對美國可能進一步加息保持謹慎，這將提高企業借貸成本並對經濟增長造成壓力。

美國總統特朗普當天表示，美聯儲的加息做法“犯了一個錯誤”，他說，“我認爲美聯儲簡直瘋了。”

摩根大通資產管理公司的全球市場策略師Marcella Chow在一份報告中指出，“股票投資者對利率上升的速度感到驚訝。”

美中之間日益擴大的關稅之爭也加深市場悲觀情緒。國際貨幣基金組織本週基於利率影響和貿易緊張關係而削減了全球經濟增長預期。

美國財政部將發佈一份貨幣政策報告，一些分析師認爲可能會提出官方對中國匯率政策立場的改變。有分析人士表示，尚不清楚報告是否將中國列爲“匯率操縱國”，這會導致處罰，或者會是“下一輪關稅的又一個前奏”。