Published July 16, 2026 Updated about 3 hours ago By Reuters SHANGHAI: Chinese stocks ended slightly lower on Wednesday amid a sell-off in semiconductor shares, as investors locked in recent gains and shifted capital into traditional sectors despite a weaker-than-expected second-quarter GDP reading. Hong Kong shares ended at a one-month high. China’s blue-chip CSI 300 Index closed 0.2 percent lower, while the Shanghai Composite Index lost 0.3 percent. Hong Kong benchmark Hang Seng rose 1.4 percent. China’s annual economic growth slowed to 4.3 percent in the second quarter, missing analysts’ expectations as weak domestic demand and the oil shock tied to the Iran war outweighed stronger production and exports. A growing divergence has emerged in China’s onshore market in recent months, with traditional sectors such as consumer and financials moving inversely to AI-focused chip supply chain stocks. China’s tech-focused STAR50 Index fell 4.3 percent, as investors took profits ahead of Asia’s largest IPO so far this…