Hong Kong tumbled in the first few minutes of trade on Thursday after separatists called for help from Moscow to repel Ukrainian forces, ramping up fears of a Russian invasion.
The Hang Seng Index sank 1.66 percent to 23,268.
The Shanghai Composite Index fell 0.42 percent to 3,474, while the Shenzhen Composite Index lost 0.63 percent to 2,323.