China, HK shares slip as consumer, healthcare drag; experts raise vaccine safety concerns

* SSEC -0.24%, CSI300 -0.43%, HSI -0.24%

* Experts raise safety concerns of Chinese vaccines

* WTO finds Washington broke trade rules by putting tariffs on China

BEIJING/SHANGHAI, Sept 16 (Reuters) – China and Hong Kong shares snapped a three-session rally on Wednesday, with consumer and healthcare stocks leading the losses as experts raised safety concerns about Chinese coronavirus vaccines.

** At the midday break, the Shanghai Composite index was down 0.24% at 3,287.93 points. ** China’s blue-chip CSI300 index was down 0.43% with its financial sector sub-index lower by 0.04. ** Healthcare and consumer sector shares fell with the consumer staples sector losing 1.17% and the healthcare sub-index down 1.97%. Shanghai Fosun Pharmaceutical Group Co fell 5% to the lowest in nearly two months.

** China is inoculating tens of thousands of its citizens with experimental coronavirus vaccines, despite expert concerns over the safety of drugs that have not completed standard testing. ** Chinese H-shares listed in Hong Kong fell 0.04% to 9,824.77, while the Hang Seng Index was down 0.24% at 24,672.32. ** The smaller Shenzhen index was down 0.86%, the start-up board ChiNext Composite index was weaker by 1.47% and Shanghai’s tech-focused STAR50 index was down 1.23%.

** The real estate index were up 0.88% as official data from Tuesday showed investment in the sector rose at the fastest pace in 16 months in August.

** Bucking the trend, shares of auto part suppliers also rose, with Fuyao Glass Industry Group Co hitting all-time high.

** Meanwhile, the WTO found on Tuesday that the United States had breached global trading rules by imposing multi-billion dollar tariffs in President Donald Trump’s trade war with China, a ruling that drew anger from Washington.

** Around the region, MSCI’s Asia ex-Japan stock index was firmer by 0.65% while Japan’s Nikkei index was up 0.12%. ** The yuan was quoted at 6.774 per U.S. dollar, 0.11% firmer than the previous close of 6.7818.