Market Jitters: China Meets as US Election Looms

Mainland China's stock market saw a dip, and Hong Kong remained flat as investors anticipated outcomes from a pivotal meeting and the U.S. presidential election. China's legislative body is set to meet without specific debt measures on the agenda. The U.S. election is creating market unease.

Mainland China's stock market experienced a slight decline on Monday, with the CSI300 Index easing by 0.4%. In contrast, Hong Kong's Hang Seng Index remained largely unchanged, reflecting investor wariness ahead of key domestic meetings and the impending U.S. presidential election.

China's top legislative body is scheduled to meet from November 4 to 8, according to state news agency Xinhua. Yet, closely watched topics like debt and fiscal measures were notably absent from the agenda. Meanwhile, China's central bank initiated its open market operations to conduct monthly trades with primary dealers.

The U.S. presidential election sees Republican former President Donald Trump and Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris in a tight race across crucial swing states. Global markets are on edge over the possibility of a contested election result causing further geopolitical instability.

(With inputs from agencies.)