The Hang Seng Tech Index plunged 3.9%, dragged down by the falls of tech giants Alibaba and Tencent. Rising Covid cases also hurt market sentiment.

The 30-plus casinos in the city will be closed for a week, but analysts say it's likely the suspension could be extended by weeks, with a gaming recovery unlikely till the end of the third quarter.

The highly-transmissible BA.5 is driving outbreaks in many countries outside China and has shown a greater ability to escape vaccine-triggered antibody reactions than other Omicron subvariants

Evergrande said it is in negotiations with bondholders to reach a deal as soon as possible, its statement to the Shenzhen Stock Exchange showed

Chinese freight trains to Russia made up 60% of the total traffic headed to Europe in the first half of this year, compared to 45% in 2021

The China State Administration for Market Regulation, which is responsible for stopping monopolistic behavior, has fined Alibaba, Tencent and numerous other companies.

China continues to buck global trends, with inflation slowing as reopening increases production and eases supply chain bottlenecks.

"This is no dystopian fantasy but a current reality," said MP Tom Tugendhat. ``A battle between authoritarian and rights-based technological standards and values is being waged.''

Monetary policy has returned to normal from crisis-mode settings, said CITIC Securities.

China continues its clampdown on public posts about the economic impacts of Beijing's zero Covid-policy.

The controversial trade shows how Russia could continue to sell commodities abroad without settling in US dollars despite sanctions imposed over its invasion of Ukraine

US and EMEA investors put a record $5.8bn into Chinese equities in June after Covid lockdowns ended in Shanghai and other cities and regulators said they would ease their tech sector crackdown