China stocks end week flat as investors await fresh cues

SHANGHAI, Dec 19 (Reuters) - China stocks rose on Friday but closed the week roughly flat as an earnings lull kept investors cautious ahead of fresh policy signals, while Hong Kong shares declined for the week.

China's blue-chip CSI300 Index .CSI300 and the Shanghai Composite Index .SSEC both gained around 0.3% on Friday. Hong Kong's benchmark Hang Seng Index .HSI was up 0.8% on the day.

The CSI300 Index was down 0.3% this week, while the Hang Seng fell 1.1%. The CSI Index was largely flat over the past month after a 16% rally this year.

Chinese chip stocks were little changed after Reuters reported the Trump administration has launched a review that could allow the first shipments of Nvidia's NVDA.O second-most powerful artificial intelligence chips to China.

Onshore AI shares .CSI930713 rose 0.5%，while Hong Kong-listed tech majors .HSTECH were 1.1% higher, after hitting a five-month low earlier this week.

The CSI Tourism Index .CSI930633 rose nearly 3%, with the China Tourism Group Duty Free 601888.SS surging 8.2%, after China launched a $113 billion free-trade experiment on Hainan island.

Nomura analysts said the gap between the property sector and exports is likely to persist, forecasting China's GDP growth at 4.3% in 2026, easing to 4.1% in the first half before rebounding to 4.5% in the second on expected spring stimulus and a lower base.

*Health care shares traded onshore .CSIHCSI and offshore .HSSSHID rose 1.4% and 1.8%, respectively. Shanghai Fosun Pharmaceutical shares ended 2.2% higher on Clavis Bio deal.