MSCI's broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan stumbled 0.7 percent after climbing to the highest since early December on Friday, with Chinese and Hong Kong shares the biggest losers. Liquidity was generally expected to be light during Asian hours as Japan was on public holiday. Chinese shares opened in the red, with the blue-chip index <.CSI300> down 0.3 percent and Shanghai's SSE Composite off 0.2 percent. Hong Kong's Hang Seng index dropped 1.2 percent while Australian shares turned down after starting firm.