Chinese stocks tumble on tapering fears

Chinese shares have started the week sharply in the red, with markets off substantially amid ongoing fears about the impact of the US cutting back its stimulus programme.

The country's Shanghai Shenzhen CSI 300 index closed down 1.9% overnight, as investors fret about what the withdrawal of stimulus in the world's largest economy will do to other nations. Chinese shares have been hit hard in the wake of Fed chairman Ben Bernanke's discussions of tapering, and the sell-off shows little sign of letting up, with the index down almost 10% in the last month alone. Other Asian indices also closed lower, with the Japanese Nikkei 225 off 0.9%, although much of this was profit-taking after a strong showing for the region last week. The losses come despite a ...