HK, mainland stocks flat ahead of US-China trade talks

Hong Kong stocks were flat by midday on Friday ahead of the closely watched US-China talks after the UK trade deal that was announced a day earlier. The benchmark Hang Seng Index inched up 1 point to 22,777 points at noon, having risen by over 130 points at one point in morning trade. The half-day market turnover was HK$96.75 billion. The Hang Seng Tech Index dropped by 1.6 percent, or 83 points, to 5,144 points. Chinese chipmaker shares slumped after posting disappointing first-quarter results. Shares of Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corp (0981) declined by 6.9 percent while those of Hua Hong