China Stocks Fall on Mideast Concerns

2026-03-19 02:34 By Jam Kaimo Samonte 1 min. read

The Shanghai Composite fell 0.9% to below 4,030, while the Shenzhen Component dropped 1.6% to 13,960 on Thursday, with mainland stocks hitting multi-week lows as the Iran war stoked worries over energy supplies.

Iran carried out missile strikes on a Qatari facility housing the world’s largest LNG export plant, one of several energy assets Tehran vowed to target after an Israeli strike on Iran’s South Pars gas field.

Meanwhile, China plans to tap its strategic oil reserves to ease the impact of Middle East disruptions, with refiners expected to process up to 1 million barrels per day over the next four to six weeks.

Chinese shares also followed Wall Street losses overnight, pressured by hotter-than-expected US PPI data and rising Fed inflation forecasts, which narrowed the scope for interest rate cuts.

Heavyweight firms saw sharp declines, including Zijin Mining (-5.3%), Biwin Storage (-4.6%), and Giga Device Semiconductor (-3.6%).



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China Stocks Fall on Mideast Concerns
The Shanghai Composite fell 0.9% to below 4,030, while the Shenzhen Component dropped 1.6% to 13,960 on Thursday, with mainland stocks hitting multi-week lows as the Iran war stoked worries over energy supplies. Iran carried out missile strikes on a Qatari facility housing the world’s largest LNG export plant, one of several energy assets Tehran vowed to target after an Israeli strike on Iran’s South Pars gas field. Meanwhile, China plans to tap its strategic oil reserves to ease the impact of Middle East disruptions, with refiners expected to process up to 1 million barrels per day over the next four to six weeks. Chinese shares also followed Wall Street losses overnight, pressured by hotter-than-expected US PPI data and rising Fed inflation forecasts, which narrowed the scope for interest rate cuts. Heavyweight firms saw sharp declines, including Zijin Mining (-5.3%), Biwin Storage (-4.6%), and Giga Device Semiconductor (-3.6%).
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