Hong Kong stocks close 2.04% higher

Hong Kong stocks ended 2.04 percent higher on Monday, with the benchmark Hang Seng index rising 443.97 points to end at 22,175.34 points, after trading between 21,948.72 and 22,240.04. Turnover totaled 55.27 billion HK dollars (about 7.12 billion U.S. dollars). The Hang Seng China Enterprises Index rose 229.84 points, or 2. 34 percent, to close at 10,055.05. Four sub-indices all gained ground, with the Commerce and Industry sub-index rising the most by 2.37 percent, followed by the Finance 1.95 percent, the Properties 1.88 percent and the Utility 0.73 percent. Banking giant HSBC, which accounts for the largest weighting of the Hang Seng Index, rose 1.3 percent to 83.10 HK dollars, while its local unit Hang Seng Bank closed 1.7 percent higher at 122.50 HK dollars. Bank of East Asia, another Hong Kong\'s major bank, closed up 1.2 percent to 30.35 HK dollars. Local bourse operator HKEX gained 2.2 percent to 121.60 HK dollars. Local developers Hang Lung Properties was up 2.1 percent at 24. 75 HK dollars. Henderson Land, another major developer in Hong Kong, increased 3.4 percent to 47.05 HK dollars, and Cheung Kong Holding, a powerful HK-based developer controlled by billionaire Li Ka-shing, climbed 2.2 percent to 113.10 HK dollars. As for mainland-based financial stocks, China Construction Bank, the country\'s second largest bank which accounts for the third largest weighting of the Hang Seng Index, rose 2.5 percent to 5.82 HK dollars. ICBC, the world\'s largest bank by market value, gained 2.6 percent at 5.22 HK dollars. Bank of China closed up 2.5 percent at 3.34 HK dollars. Bank of Communications, China\'s fifth biggest lender measured by assets, jumped 3.5 percent to 5.30 HK dollars. PetroChina, the country\'s largest oil and gas producer, ended up 1.2 percent at 8.54 HK dollars. (1 U.S. dollar equals 7.761 HK dollars)