Share prices in Hong Kong plunged on Monday amid protests in China over its continued zero-COVID policy.

The Hang Seng fell more than 4 percent at one time from Friday's close.

After some shares were bought back later, the benchmark index ended the day with a drop of 1.5 percent.

The Shanghai Composite in mainland China fell 0.7 percent.

In foreign exchange markets, the yuan weakened sharply against the dollar. The Chinese currency slid to a two-week low of 7.2 per dollar at midday.

Market analysts say rare protests against Beijing's strict COVID policy, including tight restrictions, prompted selling of China's stocks and the yuan. They say investors will continue to watch how the protests unfold.