The Asian equity markets ended in green on Wednesday, boosted by speculation that Chinese authorities will open a trading link between Shenzen and Hong Kong by year-end. China’s President Xi Jinping stated that growth of only 6.5 percent a year in 2016-2020 will be enough for China to meet its wealth goals. The report came as the ruling Communist party issued guidelines for the next five-year plan for the world’s second-largest economy, whose slowing growth has alarmed investors worldwide. The comments are the clearest indication yet that Beijing will reduce its target growth rate from the current around seven percent, after expansion slowed last quarter to its lowest in six years. Hong Kong retail sales fell for a seventh straight month in September as a drop in Chinese tourists and weak consumer sentiment amid a volatile stock market hurt retailers. Retail sales dropped 6.4 percent from a year earlier, the biggest percentage decline since January this year, to HK$35.2 billion ($4.54 billion). That followed a revised 5.3 percent fall in August. In volume terms, September sales slipped 3.1 percent. South Korean CPI rose to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 0.9% in October, from 0.6% in the preceding month. Asian Indices Last Trade Change in Points Change in % Shanghai Composite 3,459.64 142.95 4.31 Hang Seng 23,053.57 485.14 2.15 Jakarta Composite 4,612.57 79.48 1.75 KLSE Composite 1,685.62 8.06 0.48 Nikkei 225 18,926.91 243.67 1.30 Straits Times 3,040.48 40.92 1.36 KOSPI Composite 2,052.77 4.37 0.21 Taiwan Weighted 8,857.02 143.83 1.65