(LONDON) Global markets were shaken on Tuesday by the anticipated visit of the Speaker of the United States House of Representatives, Nancy Pelosi, to Taiwan.
Posted at 7:35 a.m.
Beijing, which claims Taiwan is a rebel province of mainland China, has warned Washington of serious consequences if the visit goes through.
The Paris stock market slipped by 0.5% and that of Frankfurt by 0.7% at the start of the session in Europe. The London Stock Exchange was stable.
In New York, before the opening of the markets, the Dow Jones average of industrial stocks fell by 0.4% and the broader S&P 500 index by 0.6%.
In Asia, the Nikkei 225 plunged 1.4% in Tokyo. The Shanghai Stock Exchange tumbled 2.3% and the Hang Seng 2.4% in Hong Kong. Sydney added 0.1% and Seoul 0.5%.
On the New York Commodities Exchange, oil prices fell 48 cents US to US$93.41 a barrel.