HONG KONG: Hong Kong stocks started Wednesday morning on the front foot following a strong lead from Wall Street on hopes US lawmakers will reach a stimulus deal soon.

The Hang Seng Index rose 0.82 percent, or 213.92 points, to 26,421.21.

The benchmark Shanghai Composite Index gained 0.17 percent, or 5.70 points, to 3,372.93, while the Shenzhen Composite Index on China's second exchange added 0.09 percent, or 1.99 points, to 2,258.42.