China shares ended higher Wednesday, breaking away from a regional sell-off as other Asian benchmarks fell for a second straight session and extended the dramatic decline that rippled around the world the previous day.
The Shanghai Composite Index, which tracks shares listed on the bigger of China's two stock markets, ended up 3.9% at 2,881.07.
Bullish comments in China's state-controlled media appeared to reassure anxious domestic investors, who account for virtually all trading.
China will focus on ensuring financial stability and security, the official Xinhua News Agency cited Premier Wen Jiabao as saying in an essay due to be published in Thursday's issue of the Communist Party magazine Qiushi.
Authorities also denied rumors of a 20 percent capital gains tax on stock investments -- speculation that had played a role in Tuesday's plunge.
In Tokyo, the Nikkei 225 index tumbled 2.85 percent to 17,604.12 while Hong Kong's Hang Seng Index ended 2.5 percent lower at 19,651.51.
Elsewhere:
JAKARTA: Indonesia's JSX Composite was down 1.3%.
KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia's KLSE Composite fell 3.3%.
MUMBAI: India's Bombay Sensex fell 3.3%
SEOUL: South Korea's Kospi Index was down 2.6%.
SINGAPORE: Singapore's Straits Times Index was down 3.7%.
WELLINGTON: New Zealand's NZSX-50 ended 1.5% lower.
SYDNEY: Australia's S&P/ASX 200 dropped 2.7%, with shares of BHP Billiton falling 6%. The mining sector was especially hard hit in Tuesday's slump on concerns about China demand and questions about the outlook for global growth.
With files from wire services
