SE Asia Stocks-Most decline as tech war amplifies Sino-U.S. tension
* Singapore hits over 4-mth low; April inflation data due * Indonesia up 1.5%; post-election protesters disperse By Niyati Shetty May 23 (Reuters) - Most Southeast Asian stock markets declined on Thursday, amid continued Sino-U.S. trade tensions, while an escalating technology cold war between the nations piled on. Reuters on Wednesday reported that the U.S. administration is considering Huawei-like sanctions on Chinese video surveillance firm Hikvision over the country's treatment of its Uighur Muslim minority. The bitter tariff dispute between the world's largest economies intensified last week after the United States put Huawei Technologies on a trade blacklist, effectively banning U.S. firms from doing business with the Chinese telecom giant. Adding to unlikelihood of a speedy closure to the tariff spat, U.S. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin on Wednesday said it would be at least a month before the U.S. would enact proposed tariffs on $300 billion in Chinese imports. The Philippine bourse fell up to 0.7% as financial and industrial stocks weighed on the main board. Conglomerate JG Summit Holdings Inc lost 3.3%, and Metropolitan Bank and Trust Co fell 2.6%. While risk sentiment had improved in the region during the first few months of the year after Sino-U.S. tensions seemed to be diminishing, the deadlock in trade talks since the start of May has caused disarray in the markets. "Asian markets may see some modest erosion today, while attempting to speculate on the endgame for U.S.-China trade tensions," OCBC Bank said in a note. Asian economies continued to feel the repercussions of slowing global growth, which was reflected in the dismal growth data released by Singapore and Thailand earlier this week. Thai equities slipped 0.5%, hurt by energy and materials sectors. PTT Global Chemical PCL and PTT Exploration and Production PCL declined 2.8% and 1.2%, respectively. The Singapore index lost as much as 1%, hitting a more than 4-month low, ahead of inflation data due later in the day. A Reuters poll showed the central bank's core inflation measure likely rose 1.3% in April from a year earlier, down slightly from the 1.4% rise in the prior month. Malaysian stocks fell up to 0.9%, a day after markets returned from a holiday. Petronas Chemical Group Bhd dropped 5.9%. The Indonesian index was the sole gainer, rising 1.5%, as calm returned to the streets of central Jakarta on Thursday after a second night of clashes between security forces and protesters angry over the outcome of last month's election. Earlier this week, the election commission had confirmed the victory of incumbent President Joko Widodo over challenger, ex-general Prabowo Subianto. For Asian Companies click; SOUTHEAST ASIAN STOCK MARKETS AS AT 0407 GMT Market Current Previous close Pct Move Singapore 3169.62 3183.14 -0.42 Bangkok 1622.73 1626.91 -0.26 Manila 7772.7 7815.07 -0.54 Jakarta 6027.918 5939.636 1.49 Kuala Lumpur 1602.35 1603.74 -0.09 Ho Chi Minh 980.36 983.78 -0.35 Change so far in 2019 Market Current End 2018 Pct Move Singapore 3169.62 3068.76 3.29 Bangkok 1622.73 1563.88 3.76 Manila 7772.7 7,466.02 4.11 Jakarta 6027.918 6,194.50 -2.69 Kuala Lumpur 1602.35 1690.58 -5.22 Ho Chi Minh 980.36 892.54 9.84 (Reporting by Niyati Shetty in Bengaluru; editing by Uttaresh.V)