The Hang Seng Index climbed 140 points, or 0.79 percent, to open at 18,056 on Wednesday.

The rise in the local bourse tracked gains across the region as Asian shares rose to their highest level in three weeks at the start of trading on Wednesday, boosted by a rally in tech stocks while the dollar wobbled after soft US retail sales data reinforced expectations of the Federal Reserve cutting interest rates later this year. (Xinhua/Reuters)