Asian Shares Slide as China Ups Reserve Ratios, Japan Airlines Plunges

Asian shares closed sharply lower Wednesday. China's Shanghai Composite Index plunged 3.1% to close at 3,173 and Hong Kong's Hang Seng Index fell 2.6% to 21,749. In Japan, the Nikkei 225 Index sank 1.3%, ending the day at 10,735.