WTI crude slipped below $78/bbl, down 4.17% intraday.

A-share morning trade: Shanghai Composite +0.06%, Shenzhen Composite Index +1.17%, ChiNext Index +2.05%, Beijing Stock Exchange 50 +1.63%. Combined turnover on Shanghai and Shenzhen 1.95 tln yuan, down 85.2 bln vs prior session. Market breadth strong with over 2,700 stocks advancing and more than 100 hitting daily limit up. Metal new materials rallied after a weak open; Ningbo Yunsheng and Zhongke Sanhuan hit daily limit, with Youyan Powder, Youyan Composite and Yunlu also rising. PCB sector extended gains; a dozen-plus components hit limits, led by Huazheng New Materials and Nuode on a second consecutive limit up. Lithium battery names climbed; Nuode and Haopeng Technology hit limits, while Zhuhai Guanyu, EVE Energy and Penghui Energy were among the leaders. Weakness concentrated in ports and shipping, led by COSCO Shipping Energy, Ningbo Port and Nanjing Port, and in coal mining/processing, led by Guanghui Energy, Diantou Energy and Pingmei Co.

Bank of Japan policy board member Asada said the Middle East situation poses greater downside risks to output and employment than upside risks to prices, and the central bank should maintain its current policy guidance.