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Hong Kong stocks end lower

Hong Kong - Hong Kong shares fell 0.36% on Thursday as traders grow concerned about a budget stand-off in Washington that could shut down parts of the US economy within days.

The benchmark Hang Seng Index lost 84.60 points to 23 125.03 on turnover of HK$53.29bn ($6.88bn).

Enthusiasm over the US Federal Reserve's decision last week to maintain the pace of its bond-buying programme also dimmed.

"People are still scratching their heads, trying to figure out why the Fed delayed," said Jiong Shao, head of China strategy at Macquarie told Dow Jones Newswires. "What did they see that made them have a 180 degree turn?"

Shares of Hong Kong retail middleman Li & Fung Ltd fell 3.1% to HK$11.42 while flagship carrier Cathay Pacific fell 2.2% to HK$15.02.

Chinese shares closed down 1.94% as dealers cashed in ahead of a long holiday that starts next week. The benchmark Shanghai Composite Index slipped 42.71 points to 2 155.81 on turnover of 125.7bn yuan ($20.5bn).

The stock market will be closed from October 1 for a week-long National Day holiday.

"We don't see any real turnaround in blue chips in terms of demand growth," Minsheng Securities analyst Zhang Lei told Dow Jones Newswires.

"Due to relatively tight liquidity conditions, it makes sense for investors to trim their positions in those stocks" ahead of the major holiday, he added.

Firms linked to a planned Shanghai free-trade zone fell across the board on profit-taking.

Shanghai Material Trading slumped by its 10% daily limit to 15.75 yuan and Shanghai Waigaoqiao Free Trade Zone Development also plunged 10% to 57.74 yuan.

Meanwhile Shanghai Xinhua Media fell 9.65% to 6.93 yuan, Bestv New Media dropped 8.71% to 44.66 yuan, and Chinese Universe Publishing and Media lost 6.24% to 20.12 yuan.

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