Mainland stocks sink in HK to extend Asia's biggest losses

Chinese mainland shares in Hong Kong extended the biggest sell-off in Asia this year on concern the nation's deepening economic slowdown will sap corporate earnings.

The Hang Seng China Enterprises Index slid 1.3 percent at the close, completing a third day of losses. China Life Insurance Co and GF Securities Co led declines by financial stocks. The Shanghai Composite Index closed 0.3 percent higher.

The Hang Seng China gauge has decoupled from mainland equities this year for the first time in a decade as the government intervened to support shares in Shanghai and Shenzhen and foreign investors turned bearish on the nation's earnings prospects. While the index of mainland stocks in Hong Kong has fallen 19 percent in 2015, the most among Asian benchmark indexes tracked by Bloomberg, the Shanghai Composite Index has climbed 10 percent.