Tokyo stocks open lower as China protests spark concern

Tokyo stocks opened lower Tuesday as intensifying protests against China's strict "zero-COVID" policy sparked concern over the outlook for the world's second-biggest economy. In the first 15 minutes of trading, the 225-issue Nikkei Stock Average fell 251.35 points, or 0.89 percent, from Monday to 27,911.48. The broader Topix index was down 17.28 points, or 0.86 percent, at 1,987.03. On the top-tier Prime Market, decliners were led by metal product, machinery, and pharmaceutical issues. At 9 a.m., the dollar fetched 138.71-74 yen compared with 138.85-95 yen in New York and 138.30-32 yen in Toky...