Asia shares mostly fall on China energy, Evergrande worries

TOKYO (AP) — Asian shares mostly fell Tuesday as concerns about China chipped away at investor optimism following a mixed finish on Wall Street.

Japan's benchmark Nikkei 225 lost 0.2% to finish at 30,183.96. Australia's S&P/ASX 200 slipped 1.5% to 7,275.60. South Korea's Kospi declined 1.1% to 3,100.60. Hong Kong's Hang Seng added 1.5% to 24,575.92. The Shanghai Composite index climbed 0.5% to 3,601.91.

A power crunch in some parts of China has shut down factories and left some households without electricity under an effort to meet official energy use targets. That could have global repercussions, including on supplies needed for manufacturing throughout Asia, coming right ahead of the year-end shopping season.

That's on top of parts and raw material shortages that already ail regional manufacturing because of supply disruptions caused by the coronavirus pandemic.

Analysts say the power shortage in China could become prolonged as the demand for coal and natural gas surges during the winter.

Another lingering market worry resonating from China is the possible collapse of one of China’s biggest real estate developers, Evergrande Group, which is struggling to avoid a default on billions of dollars of debt.

"Crucially, contagion risks loom large due to transmission within the property sector due to similar risks to home-buyers and banks via balance sheet exposures," said Vishnu Varathan of the Asia & Oceania Treasury Department at Mizuho Bank. “Fact is Evergrande is at best a risk that has temporarily abated but is far from abolished.”

The vote for the leader of Japan's ruling party, set for Wednesday, was also weighing on Tokyo trading, according to analysts, as players took a wait-and-see attitude. Four candidates are in the race to replace Prime Minister...