By Aysu Bicer
ANKARA (AA) - Asian stock markets closed Friday mixed as policy tightening from major central banks around the world, including the US Federal Reserve, sparked fears of economic slowdown.
Shanghai Composite Index in China increased by 1% to 3,319 points, while South Korea's Kospi index decreased by 0.4% to 2,441 points.
The Nikkei 225 index in Japan closed the day at 25,963 points with a decrease of 1.8%.
In India, the Sensex index fell 0.6% to 51,203 points, and Hong Kong's Hang Seng index hovered at 21,069 points, up 1.1%.
The Asia Dow, which includes blue-chip companies in the region, was down 49.59 points, or 1.54%, to 3,179.
The Bank of Japan on Friday decided to maintain its ultra-low interest rates, at minus 0.1% for short-term and 0% for long-term.
Earlier this week, Japanese Finance Minister Shunichi Suzuki expressed concern on the yen's rapid decline and said the government would coordinate appropriate action with the central bank.
But the bank, which fulfilled its commitment to keep Japan's 10-year bond rate at 0.25% by making the biggest bond purchase in recent years, did not take a step back from its ultra-loose policy.
Meanwhile, the South Korean Finance Ministry's monthly assessment released on Friday painted a grim picture of the country’s economy due to skyrocketing oil and commodities prices caused by the protracted Russia-Ukraine war.