Chinese stocks fall 2.78 per cent

Beijing - China's main stock index closed down 2.78 per cent on Thursday, mirroring falls across the region after a warning from the US Federal Reserve.

The key Shanghai Composite Index, which tracks shares traded in domestic and foreign currencies, lost 69.91 points to close at 2,443.06, a decline of 2.78 per cent.

The smaller Shenzhen Component Index fell 3.01 per cent.

Investors throughout Asia were spooked by the Fed's warning on Wednesday of "significant downside risks to the economic outlook, including strains in global financial markets." 

Japan's benchmark Nikkei 225 Stock Average dropped 2.07 per cent and Singapore's key Straits Times Index fell 2.55 per cent.//DPA