Hong Kong's Hang Seng Index closes 0.12 pct higher

Hong Kong's stock market ended higher Thursday with the benchmark Hang Seng Index up 0.12 percent to close at 25,498.13 points.

Bucking the overall trend, the Hang Seng China Enterprises Index dipped 0.02 percent to end at 8,841.51 points, and the Hang Seng Tech Index edged down 0.73 percent to 5,418.29 points.

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz was welcomed by an impressive robot martial arts performance as he visited Chinese robotics firm Unitree Robotics in Hangzhou, east China's Zhejiang Province on Thursday.

Merz, along with members of his business delegation, watched attentively throughout the innovative show "Wu BOT," or "Kung Fu Robots," nodding in appreciation at the various stunning moves. He led the applause after the show concluded.

Merz arrived in Beijing on Wednesday for a two-day official visit to China. On Thursday he visited the Hangzhou-based Unitree Robotics, whose innovative humanoid robot creations have attracted significant global attention.

Merz listened to introductions about some of the cutting-edge robot components being produced by the company before he was treated to a robot boxing demonstration, and the live performance of a segment of the dynamic robot martial arts display.

"Wu BOT" was first performed during the 2026 China Media Group Spring Festival Gala broadcast on Feb 16, the eve of the Chinese New Year. Featuring dozens of humanoid machines moving in sync with martial artists, the show presented a blend of Chinese cultural heritage and state-of-the-art robotics technology.