Chinese shares down over weak PMI data

Chinese shares lost ground on Wednesday after data from HSBC suggested China's manufacturing activity shrank further in July.

The benchmark Shanghai Composite Index shed 0.52 percent, or 10.55 points, to end at 2,033.33, and the Shenzhen Component Index lost 0.35 percent, or 27.86 points, to 7,935.85.

HSBC said China's preliminary purchasing managers' index (PMI) fell to an 11-month low of 47.7 in July from a final reading of 48.2 in June.