China stocks close up, led by liquor and real estate shares

Updates to market close

SHANGHAI, Jan 29 (Reuters) - China stocks closed up on Thursday, on the back of gains in liquor and real estate shares. Hong Kong benchmarks also rose.

** China's blue-chip CSI300 Index .CSI300 ended 0.8% higher and the Shanghai Composite Index .SSEC rose 0.2%, while the Hong Kong benchmark Hang Seng .HSI was up 0.51%.

** Liquor shares .CSI399997 surged a record 9.8% on the day.

** Real estate shares onshore and offshore also climbed.

** Mainland property developer shares listed in Hong Kong .HSMPI were up 4.78%. Seazen 1030.HK shares surged more than 14%.

** CSI300 real estate index .CSI000952 in mainland China rallied 5%, the best single-day gain in more than a month.

** The upbeat sentiment came after local media reported Chinese regulators are no longer requiring property developers to submit some monthly financial metrics, the so-called "three red lines".

** Non-ferrous metals shares .CSISNMIM rose 2% onshore, while Hong Kong materials stocks .HSCIM were up about 1%, as spot gold price hit a record high.

** Turnover in China's onshore markets has stayed around 3 trillion yuan ($420 billion), with new hot sectors emerging and momentum building in non-ferrous metals, analysts at Caida Securities said in a note.

** From these signals, the broker said there is little cause for concern at the index level, noting a gradual shift in market focus from technology to cyclicals, with the rally spreading from precious metals to non-ferrous and chemicals.

** The Shanghai Composite Index was up nearly 5% this year, hovering near a decade high.

** Tech shares listed in Hong Kong .HSTECH were down 1.2%, while onshore semiconductor .CSIH30184 and artificial intelligence .CSI930713 shares eased 4.2% and 1.6%, respectively.

(Reporting by Shanghai Newsroom; Editing by Rashmi Aich and Harikrishnan Nair)

((li.gu@tr.com))