** The blue-chip CSI 300 Index was up 0.4% by the
end of the morning session, and the Shanghai Composite Index added 0.3%.
** The Hang Seng Index and the Hang Seng China
Enterprises Index were both flat at midday close.
** For the week, the CSI 300 slipped nearly 1%, while the
Hang Seng was barely changed.
** Other Asian shares firmed, as Singapore became the latest
country to pause its monetary policy tightening and markets
became more confident the likely next hike in U.S. rates would
be the last this cycle.
** China's economy is likely to grow around 5% this year, People's Bank of China Governor Yi Gang said in remarks published on Friday, in line with the government's annual target.
** This week, "sentiment improved further given sustained macro recovery in response to accommodative policy, as well as rising momentum around thematic trades such as AI (artificial intelligence)," Morgan Stanley said in a note.
** Some AI-theme stocks rebounded from previous session's
weakness. Information technology shares climbed 0.8%,
while semiconductors surged 3.4% on Friday.
** Premier Li Qiang said China needs to accelerate research
and development for core technologies including chips, state
media quoted him as saying on Thursday, which also propped
market sentiment.
** Tech giants listed in Hong Kong lost 0.7%, with
search engine giant Biadu slumping 4.2% and food
delivery firm Meituan dropping 2.1%.
(Reporting by Shanghai Newsroom; Editing by Rashmi Aich)
