华尔街受创冲击亚洲金融市场

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 2017, 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.”

华尔街股市暴跌冲击亚洲各地，导致周四中国的股指降至四年来的低点，也重挫日本、韩国、澳大利亚的股市。

中国的上证综指下跌5.2％至2017年11月以来的最低水平，日本的日经指数则下跌近4％。香港恒生指数下跌3.7％至25,220.67点。韩国股指则下跌4.4％至2,129.67点。台湾及东南亚股市也受到重挫。

星期三，美国股市由于投资人对利率上升和贸易紧张局势的担忧引发技术和互联网股票的抛售，导致股市暴跌。道琼斯工业平均指数遭遇八个月来最大跌幅，下跌3.1％至25,598.74点。

标准普尔指数下跌3.3％至2,785.68点。拥有大量科技股的纳斯达克综合指数下跌4.1％至7,422.05。纳指在短短5天内下降了7.5％。

投资人对美国可能进一步加息保持谨慎，这将提高企业借贷成本并对经济增长造成压力。

美国总统特朗普当天表示，美联储的加息做法“犯了一个错误”，他说，“我认为美联储简直疯了。”

摩根大通资产管理公司的全球市场策略师Marcella Chow在一份报告中指出，“股票投资者对利率上升的速度感到惊讶。”

美中之间日益扩大的关税之争也加深市场悲观情绪。国际货币基金组织本周基于利率影响和贸易紧张关系而削减了全球经济增长预期。

美国财政部将发布一份货币政策报告，一些分析师认为可能会提出官方对中国汇率政策立场的改变。有分析人士表示，尚不清楚报告是否将中国列为“汇率操纵国”，这会导致处罚，或者会是“下一轮关税的又一个前奏”。