Hong Kong's Ming Pao calls for more transparency on how publically-donated funds are spent and reminds authorities to focus more on building proper earthquake-resistant buildings rather than luxurious government buildings and other "image projects".

BBC: China media: Quake response

The other market in focus on Monday was China, where stocks were reacting to an earthquake that hit Sichuan province over the weekend.

WSJ: Nikkei Outperforms Asia as Yen Slides

The other market in focus on Monday was China, where stocks were slightly lower after an earthquake hit Sichuan province over the weekend.

WSJ: Nikkei Outperforms Asia as Yen Slides