Chinese shares ended the morning session down more than five percent on Monday, as regional markets all registered losses after Wall Street lost ground on Friday after a two-day rally.

Hong Kong shares dropped 4.7 percent in the morning session, while Japan shares were down 2.6 percent.

In New York, the blue-chip Dow Jones Industrial Average slipped1.38 percent on Friday to close at 12,207.17 points.

The benchmark Shanghai Composite Index, which covers both A and B shares, lost 260.88 points, or 5.48 percent, to finish Monday morning at4500.81.

The Chinese mainland stock market was mostly in the red in the morning, with losses leading gains by 772 to 40 in Shanghai and 632 to 26 in Shenzhen.

Heavyweights and blue chips led the slump. China Aluminum lost 8.04 percent to 30.75 yuan (4.27 U.S. dollars), while Sinopec was down 7.92 percent to 17.44 yuan with its biggest fall once hitting more than eight percent. PetroChina fell 5.05 percent to 24.82 yuan per share.

Industrial and Commercial Bank of China and Bank of China fell 4.25 percent and 5.53 percent, respectively.

Securities firms also recorded heavy losses. Changjiang Securities tumbled 9.25 percent, and three other securities firms, including CITIC Securities, all fell by more than seven percent.

The smaller Shenzhen market reported a loss of 5.54 percent, or957.88 points, to close at 16,336.12 points.
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