Asian shares drop on talk of US-China sanctions

Currency traders watch monitors at the foreign exchange dealing room of the KEB Hana Bank headquarters in Seoul on Monday, as shares dropped on reports of more US sanctions against Chinese officials (Ahn Young-joon/AP)

Shares were mostly lower in Asia on Monday following a report that the US is preparing to slap sanctions on a dozen more Chinese officials, ratcheting up tensions with Beijing.

Benchmarks dropped in Tokyo, Hong Kong and Shanghai but rose in Sydney.