Hong Kong stocks edged up 54 points, or 0.2%, to 26,393 in Monday’s morning session, extending gains from the prior day and reaching a seven-week high. Traders looked past U.S. military action in Venezuela, where President Nicolas Maduro was captured, and President Donald Trump announced temporary American control. Sentiment was further lifted by strength in mainland equities, particularly tech, amid renewed optimism over China’s domestic AI sector. Last week, President Xi Jinping signaled more proactive macro policies in 2026 to sustain momentum after around 5% growth in 2025. On the data front, services activity expanded the least in six months during the final month of 2025, dragged by a decline in employment and fragile external demand. Early movers included Kuaishou Tech (10.3%), Chow Tai Fook (5.1%), China Hongqiao Group (2.4%), SMIC (2.1%), and CK Infrastructure Holdings (1.8%).