European stocks fell on Tuesday as weak global factory data stoked fears of an economic slowdown, while markets were on edge over a visit by the U.S. House Speaker. , Nancy Pelosi, to Taiwan.
The pan-European STOXX 600 index was down 0.6% at 7:08 GMT.
Pelosi was due to visit Taiwan on Tuesday, according to three sources, at a time when the United States was saying it would not be intimidated by Chinese threats not to sit “idly by” if she made the trip to the self-ruled island claimed by Beijing. .
Global markets were nervous, with the MSCI index of Asia-Pacific stocks, which does not include Japan, down 1.4%, while US futures pointed to a lower open.
European stocks ended lower in the previous session as energy sector stocks fell on the back of lower crude prices, after weak factory data from the US, Europe and Asia reignited concerns about the demand.
The European energy sector was buoyed by strong results from BP, which rose 3.1% in London after posting a second-quarter profit that beat estimates.