HK stocks hit a new 11-week high before today's US-China talk

Hong Kong's and mainland China's equities rose in the morning ahead of the upcoming Sino-US trade talk in the United Kingdom today.

The benchmark Hang Seng Index stood at 24,033 at midday, 240 points or 1 percent higher than the previous close. It also marked a new high after March 20.

The half-day main board turnover amounted to HK$151.79 billion. 

The Hang Seng Tech Index increased 2.3 percent to 5,408 and the Hang Seng China Enterprises Index grew by 1.1 percent to 8,724.

In mainland China, the Shanghai Composite Index rose to as high as 3,402 points, before standing 0.23 percent higher at 3,393 by noon. The Shenzhen Component Index also gained 0.62 percent to 10,246 as of midday.

It came as top U.S. and Chinese officials will sit down in London on Monday for talks aimed at defusing the high-stakes trade dispute between the two superpowers that has widened in recent weeks beyond tit-for-tat tariffs to export controls over goods and components critical to global supply chains.

STAFF REPORTER AND REUTERS