The Haney Group

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The benchmark Hang Seng Index on Friday gained 151.68 points to 21,807.56 on turnover of $HK44.13 billion ($A6.30 billion).

China's key industrial production growth accelerated to a five-month high of 9.7 per cent in July, the government said.

Authorities also announced steady expansion in retail sales and fixed asset investment, and a benign inflation figure of 2.7 per cent, unchanged from last month.

"Taken with Thursday's better-than-expected trade data, there's more reason to be positive on the economy," Minsheng Securities analyst Zheng Ping told Dow Jones Newswires.

Exports and imports, which had contracted in June, rebounded last month, growing 5.1 per cent and 10.9 per cent year-on-year respectively, according to Customs figures on Thursday.

Mainland plays were strong performers in Hong Kong after the slightly lower than expected inflation reading raised hopes China's leadership will introduce new measures to support slowing economic growth.

Tags: Hong Kong shares up 0.7% by close