SHANGHAI, Dec 29 (Reuters) - China stocks fell on Wednesday
as consumer staples, chipmakers slumped amid cautious trading in
the last week of the year, while the lockdown in Xian city to
curb the spread of COVID-19 continued for the seventh day,
weighing on sentiment.
** The CSI300 index fell 1.3%, to 4,891.73 points
at the end of the morning session, while the Shanghai Composite
index lost 0.8%, to 3,601.54 points.
** The Hang Seng index dropped 0.9%, to 23,075.79
points. The Hong Kong China Enterprises index lost 1.1%,
to 8,104.65.
** Consumer staples slumped 3.1%, with liquor
makers down 4.5%.
** Analysts expect liquor sales will enter peak season with
the upcoming new year and spring festival holidays, benefiting
related stocks.
** Semiconductors and electronics
lost 1.8% and 1.7% respectively.
** A lockdown of 13 million people in the Chinese city of
Xian entered its seventh day on Wednesday as new COVID-19
infections persisted.
** Central China Securities analysts said market
participants are holding money and waiting as the year comes to
an end.
** Bucking the trend, tourism and transport
stocks gained 0.8% and 1.6% respectively, with new
year holidays approaching. Meanwhile, defence shares
added 1.4%.
** China's central bank will by the end of the month issue a
first batch of low-cost loans to financial institutions to
enable carbon emission cuts, central bank governor Yi Gang told
state-owned Xinhua.
** Tech giants and healthcare firms weighed down Hong Kong
shares.
** Hang Seng Tech index retreated 1.5%, with
Alibaba Group, Tencent Holdings and Meituan
down between 1.5% and 2.6%.
** Healthcare stocks dropped 2.4%, while consumer
staples declined 1.7%.
** Hotpot chain Haidilao International Holdings
plunged 6.5%, the biggest percentage decliner on the Hang Seng
index.
** Mainland real estate developers listed in Hong Kong
fell 2.1%.
(Reporting by Shanghai Newsroom; Editing by Shounak Dasgupta)