Asia stocks slip ahead of Fed decision as China’s deflation concerns deepen

Asian equities fell on Wednesday as investors grew increasingly cautious ahead of a key U.S. Federal Reserve interest-rate decision, while signs of persistent deflation in China further dampened regional sentiment.

Markets across the region tracked a softer lead from Wall Street, where U.S. stocks edged lower overnight on jitters that the Fed could accompany an expected 25-basis-point rate cut with more hawkish forward guidance. S&P 500 futures were flat as of 23:14 ET (04:14 GMT).

China Stocks Slide on Weak Inflation Data:

Chinese markets were among the weakest performers. The Shanghai Shenzhen CSI 300 fell 0.9%, the Shanghai Composite dropped 0.7%, and Hong Kong’s Hang Seng lost 0.4%.

Fresh government figures showed that while China’s consumer price index rose year-on-year in November, it unexpectedly contracted compared to the prior month. Producer prices fell for the 38th straight month, underscoring entrenched deflationary pressures.

The inflation surprise renewed concerns about China’s growth outlook into 2026, highlighting persistently soft domestic demand. Although the Politburo pledged this week to deploy additional fiscal stimulus, markets showed little immediate confidence in the measures.

Chinese chipmakers also extended losses after U.S. President Donald Trump said he would allow NVIDIA (NASDAQ: NVDA) to sell more advanced AI chips in China, raising competitive and regulatory uncertainties.

Japan Slips as BOJ Rate-Hike Speculation Builds:

Japan’s Nikkei 225 dipped 0.3%, while the TOPIX was largely unchanged.

Data showed producer price inflation in Japan remained stubbornly elevated in November, fueling speculation that the Bank of Japan may move forward with a long-anticipated interest-rate hike at its late-December meeting. BOJ leadership has recently signaled readiness to act if inflation stays sticky.

Geopolitical tensions between Tokyo and Beijing added to market pressure, following U.S. criticism of China for aiming radars at Japanese military aircraft during a training exercise—an escalation amid ongoing disputes linked to Taiwan.

Regional Markets Mostly Lower:

Australia’s ASX 200 was flat after the Reserve Bank of Australia struck a hawkish tone on Tuesday, with Governor Michele Bullock downplaying expectations for further rate cuts.

Singapore’s Straits Times Index declined 0.3%.

South Korea’s KOSPI traded flat.

India’s Nifty 50 saw modest gains after steep recent losses driven by an 8% weekly slide in IndiGo (NSE: INGL), which continues to face operational disruptions.

Investors across global markets now await the Fed’s policy announcement for clues on the U.S. interest-rate trajectory heading into 2025.