Asian stock markets fell Thursday amid speculation that China, the region's economic engine, may announce gross domestic product slowed in the second quarter.

Japan's Nikkei 225 index was down 1 percent to 8,765.38 while Hong Kong's Hang Seng plunged 1.8 percent at 19,065.66.

South Korea's Kospi slipped 0.7 percent to 1,813.76. Australia's S&P/ASX 200 dropped 0.5 percent at 4,075.70 and China's Shanghai Composite slid 0.9 percent to 2,155.43.

Europe's debt crisis and signs of weak growth in the United States are undermining demand for Chinese exports and have investors concerned that a slowdown in the world's second-largest economy could be worsening.

China is scheduled to announce GDP results for the April to June period Friday, and growth likely slowed to 7.9 percent, the worst reading since the aftermath of the 2008 global financial crisis, Singapore's DBS Bank said. China's economy grew 8.1 percent in the first quarter.