SHANGHAI, Jan 25 (Reuters) - Hong Kong shares ended lower on
Tuesday, dragged down by tech giants and financial firms on
concerns that the U.S. Federal Reserve would tighten policies
and rising geopolitical tensions related to Ukraine.
** The Hang Seng index fell 1.7%, to 24,243.61, while
the China Enterprises index lost 1.8%, to 8,503.35
points.
** The Fed will begin its two-day meeting later on Tuesday,
and NATO said on Monday it was putting forces on standby and
reinforcing eastern Europe with more ships and fighter jets, in
what Russia denounced as Western "hysteria" in response to its
build-up of troops on the Ukraine border.
** The Hang Seng Tech index slumped 2.7%, with
Alibaba Group and Meituan down 1.9% and 3%,
respectively.
** The Cyberspace Administration of China launched a
month-long "clean cyberspace" campaign, which would target
online abuse, "chaos" in celebrity fan groups and "money
worship", among other issues.
** The Hang Seng Finance index retreated 1.8%, with
insurers AIA Group and Ping An down 3.1% and
5.7%, respectively.
** Healthcare firms plunged 3.7%. Alibaba Health
Information Technology Ltd closed down 7% to become
the largest percentage decliner on the Hang Seng index.
** Mainland real estate developers listed in Hong Kong
closed 1.9% lower amid debt woes in the sector.
** China Evergrande Group dropped 6.5% as the
cash-strapped developer sought more time from its offshore
bondholders to work on a "comprehensive" and "effective" debt
restructuring plan.
** Property developer Shimao Group Holdings pared
early gains and ended down 1.3%, after it sold its holdings in a
Guangzhou complex to a state-owned partner for 1.84 billion yuan
($290.65 million), following a sale of a commercial land in
Shanghai last week.
(Reporting by the Shanghai Newsroom; Editing by Shounak
Dasgupta)