HONG KONG: Shares sank in Hong Kong Monday morning as upbeat comments on the US economy by the Federal Reserve's vice chairman fanned speculation the central bank could hike interest rates before the end of the year.

The Hang Seng Index fell 0.33 percent, or 76.26 points, to 22,860.96.

The benchmark Shanghai Composite Index lost 0.63 percent, or 19.73 points, to 3,088.37 and the Shenzhen Composite Index, which tracks stocks on China's second exchange, dropped 0.74 percent, or 15.21 points, to 2,029.49.

Copyright AFP (Agence France-Presse), 2016