Asian-Pacific Markets Mostly Decline After China's Manufacturing Growth Falls Short of Expectations

Forex - Asia-Pacific markets largely declined on the last trading day of the year as investors assessed China's manufacturing growth, which fell short of expectations. China's purchasing managers' index for December stood at 50.1, below the anticipated 50.2, indicating that Beijing's stimulus measures were insufficient to significantly revive the country's struggling economy. The CSI 300 index in China fell by 0.84%. Australia's S&P/ASX 200 index decreased by 0.92% in a shortened trading session. Taiwan's Taiex index dropped by 0.67%. In Hong Kong, the Hang Seng Index rose by 0.57%. Stock exchanges in Japan and South Korea are closed for the New Year holiday.