Mainland stocks ended slightly higher on Thursday, supported by optimism over artificial intelligence after Premier Li Qiang called for broader technological innovation and AI adoption, while tech shares weighed on Hong Kong markets.

The benchmark Hang Seng Index ended trading down 233 points, or 0.86 percent, at 27,032.

The China enterprises index was 93 points, or one percent, lower at 9,175 while the tech index was 91 points, or 1.65 percent, lower at 5,408.

Hong Kong's tech shares have underperformed since ⁠late last year, but analysts at CMS Securities said the slide reflected a sharp liquidity shock rather than a shift in
fundamentals.

With the peak of overseas liquidity stress seen as having passed, they viewed buying the dip as a viable strategy.

China Vanke's Hong Kong shares jumped as much as eight percent after media reported Shenzhen government drafted an 80-billion-yuan rescue package for the developer.

Up north, the benchmark Shanghai Composite Index closed up just over two points, or 0.05 percent, at 4,134.

The Shenzhen component index was up 122 points, or 0.86 percent, at 14,283 while the ChiNext, tracking China's Nasdaq-style board of growth enterprises, was up 43 points, or 1.32 percent, at 3,328.

Onshore artificial intelligence stocks climbed roughly two percent after Li said on Wednesday the country should better co-ordinate power and computing resources to advance AI.

Market sentiment was also supported by news that Chinese AI start-up Zhipu AI released its ⁠latest AI model, with ByteDance also developing an AI chip.

⁠Shares of Zhipu AI ⁠jumped nearly 30 percent to a fresh high since its market debut on January 8.

Global tech shares tumbled last week on fears of AI-driven disruption, sparking a broad selloff that left the Nasdaq down nearly two percent.

Most of China's 33 stocks, which are to be added to the MSCI China A Index series, climbed on expectations of fresh money inflows.

Shares ⁠of Chinese chipmaker Wingtech slumped 4.7 percent to a nearly six-month low after a Dutch court ordered a probe into alleged mismanagement at its unit Nexperia.

Auto shares traded onshore and offshore both edged up ⁠after China released guidelines for the industry, aimed at regulating pricing behaviour, curbing price wars. (Reuters/Xinhua)