Hong Kong stocks plunged at the open Monday after data showing a forecast-busting jump in US inflation last month fanned bets on a sharper pace of Federal Reserve interest rate hikes.

The Hang Seng Index shed 2.95 percent to 21,163.

The Shanghai Composite Index slipped 0.87 percent to 3,256, while the Shenzhen Composite Index on China's second exchange fell 0.77 percent to 2,069. (AFP)