Asia-Pacific markets set to open higher ahead of private survey of China’s manufacturing activity

Market Overview - Asia-Pacific markets opened December mostly in the red, influenced by fresh manufacturing data from China and rising expectations of a U.S. Federal Reserve rate cut this month [1] - Traders are pricing in an 87.4% chance of a quarter-point rate cut for the upcoming Fed meeting on December 10 [1] China Manufacturing Data - China's factory activity unexpectedly contracted in November, as indicated by a private survey, reflecting soft domestic demand [2] - The RatingDog China General Manufacturing PMI dropped to 49.9 in November, missing analysts' expectations of 50.5, indicating contraction [3] - Official data showed China's factory activity improved slightly to 49.2 in November, marking the eighth consecutive month of contraction [3] Hong Kong Market Reaction - Hong Kong-listed firms with exposure to digital assets saw significant declines after the People's Bank of China warned of illegal activities related to digital currencies [4] - Stocks of Yunfeng Financial and Bright Smart Securities & Commodities Group tumbled more than 7%, while Guotai Junan fell as much as 3% [4] Japan and South Korea Market Performance - Japan's Nikkei 225 index fell 1.3%, with notable declines in companies such as Fujikura (down 8.11%) and Sumitomo Pharma (down 5.82%) [5] - South Korea's Kospi index decreased by 0.66%, while the small-cap Kosdaq advanced by 1.29% [5] - Australia's ASX/S&P 200 declined by 0.23% [5]