The Hang Seng index shed 0.09 percent, or 22.98 points, to end at 25,974.16.

But the benchmark Shanghai Composite Index closed 1.23 percent, or 38.19 points, higher at 3,140.32. The Shenzhen Composite Index, which tracks stocks on China's second exchange, advanced 2.19 percent, or 39.73 points, to 1,850.53.