HONG KONG: China and Hong Kong stocks edged higher on Monday, led by gains in rare-earth and technology sectors, as investors awaited the high-level US-China trade negotiations in London. China’s blue-chip CSI300 Index climbed 0.3% in early trades, while the Shanghai Composite Index gained 0.4%.

Asian stock markets have advanced ahead of the second round of trade talks between Washington and Beijing, following a solid report on the U.S. job market.

Hong Kong stocks rose on Monday as mainland China and the US were set to hold trade talks in London, as Beijing released better-than-expected economic data. The Hang Seng Index rose 1.3 per cent to 24,