HONG KONG: Hong Kong stocks opened slightly lower Thursday morning following three days of gains and after China unveiled plans to expand tighter regulation across various industries over the coming years.

The Hang Seng Index slipped 0.14 percent, or 36.39 points, to 26,623.77.

Hong Kong stocks open sharply lower

The Shanghai Composite Index dipped 0.28 percent, or 9.90 points, to 3,522.72, while the Shenzhen Composite Index on China's second exchange fell 0.28 percent, or 6.97 points, to 2,480.04.