DAVID HAFFENREFFER, CNN ANCHOR: Well, tech issues in Asia took their cue from the Nasdaq sell-off yesterday.</s>DEBORAH MARCHINI, CNN ANCHOR: Lorraine Hahn wraps up the day in Asian markets from our studios in Hong Kong. Hello, Lorraine.</s>LORRAINE HAHN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Thank you very much. With Tokyo closed for a holiday, other Asian markets ended softer, with the exception of Hong Kong. Stocks here reversed an early-morning decline to end firmer, led by property-giant Cheung Kong and its sister firm, Hutchison Whampoa. Talk is the circulating that Deutsche Telekom has made a $53 billion offer to buy VoiceStream Wireless of the U.S. Now, Hutchison owns a 23-percent stake in VoiceStream. Hutch shares rose 1.7 percent, while Cheung Kong jumped almost 3 percent. The Hang Seng index gained 2 3/4 percent. Now, still, investors are watching what Fed Chairman Alan Greenspan will being saying later today. South Korean shares closed down again, off more than 2 percent today. Again, led lower by selling of heavyweight Samsung Electronics; its stock fell 4 percent. And in Taiwan, the market there down 2 1/4 percent. Electronics also tumbling after the Nasdaq's fall and a Merrill Lynch report that chips had reached their peaks. Finally, Vietnam has made its first symbolic step down that capitalist road, opening its first stock market in Ho Chi Minh City, but trading only starts in about 10 days with four firms to be listed by then. Dave and Deborah, it means officials are hoping this will be a boost for business confidence. It shows, I guess, that Vietnam is serious about its market reforms. Back to both of you.</s>HAFFENREFFER: All right, Lorraine, thank you very much. TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
Tech Issues Leave Asian Markets Soft