HONG KONG, July 1 (AFP): Asian shares began the third quarter mixed Wednesday as a Japanese business confidence survey was met with disappointment, but positive manufacturing data from China gave further indication of recovery.

Some markets took their cue from Wall Street which slipped Tuesday after a surprise fall in US consumer confidence dented hopes for a recovery in spending to lead the country out of recession.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average slumped 81.85 points (0.96 per cent) to 8,447.53 at the market close.

Tokyo slipped 0.19 per cent despite the Bank of Japan's quarterly Tankan survey showing that business confidence among major Japanese manufacturers had improved for the first time in two-and-a-half years.