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Hong Kong stocks slip, led by tech firms, after Beijing repeats OpenClaw warning

Tencent and Alibaba lose ground while CATL and Geely buck market trend

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Bull statues overlook Exchange Square in Hong Kong on February 3, 2026. Photo: Reuters
Cao Li

Hong Kong stocks fell on Wednesday as tech firms slid after Chinese authorities moved to curb the OpenClaw frenzy.

The Hang Seng Index edged down 0.2 per cent to close at 25,898.76 after gaining as much as 0.7 per cent in the morning session. The Hang Seng Tech Index fell 0.1 per cent. On the mainland, the CSI 300 Index added 0.6 per cent and the Shanghai Composite Index gained 0.3 per cent.

On Tuesday, China’s cybersecurity emergency response system warned of security and data risks tied to OpenClaw, an artificial intelligence tool that has surged in popularity for its ability to perform tasks on a user’s behalf, such as organising and responding to emails, drafting work reports and preparing slide decks. Chinese businesses and consumers have been embracing the technology, triggering fears from the authorities over its security.
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Beijing has taken action to restrict state-owned enterprises and government agencies from running the tool, Bloomberg reported on Wednesday.

Following the news, Chinese tech giant Tencent Holdings, which announced early this week that it had launched an OpenClaw alternative named WorkBuddy, fell 0.3 per cent to HK$552. Its shares rose more than 7 per cent on Tuesday and were up 4.4 per cent during morning trading on Wednesday.

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Alibaba Group Holding fell 0.2 per cent to HK$113.20 after rising nearly 4 per cent on Tuesday.

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