Stocks slipped in Asian trade on Wednesday as investors awaited the signing of an initial US-China trade deal, with sentiment somewhat dented by comments from the US Treasury Secretary that tariffs would remain in place for now.

MSCI's broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan retreated 0.40 per cent, Japan's benchmark Nikkei and South Korea's KOSPI shed 0.46 per cent and 0.40 per cent, respectively, while Australian stocks added 0.33 per cent.

China's Shanghai Composite fell 0.59 per cent and Hong Kong's Hang Seng dropped 0.72 percent..........................BL