Asian shares decline despite hopes for economic relief

A pedestrian passes in front of a quotation board displaying the share price numbers of the Tokyo Stock Exchange in Tokyo on March 11, 2020. Tokyo's benchmark Nikkei index dropped more than 2.2 per cent March 11 on profit-taking as trading remained volatile, with investors nervously watching news related to the new coronavirus. - AFP

TOKYO (AP) - Stocks dropped in Asia on Wednesday (March 11) despite gains on Wall Street on hopes the Trump administration will act to cushion the economic pain of the virus outbreak.

Japan's benchmark Nikkei 225 lost 2.2% to 19,427.38. Australia's S&P/ASX 200 plunged 3.6% to 5,725.90. South Korea's Kospi shed 2.9% to 1,905.50. Chinese shares erased morning gains. Hong Kong's Hang Seng fell 0.6% to 25,238.08, while the Shanghai Composite dipped 0.5% to 2,980.50.