BEIJING, May 11 -- Hong Kong's blue-chip Hang Seng Index has added two Chinese companies and removed two local ones, reflecting growing interest in mainland businesses.

    The index said late Friday it will remove billionaire Li Ka-shing's Cheung Kong Infrastructure Holdings Ltd and fixed-line operator PCCW Ltd from the list of stocks from which the index is calculated, starting from June 10.

    It will replace them with Tencent Holdings Ltd, operator of the Chinese instant-messaging service QQ, and Aluminum Corp of China. The moves raise the index's number of H-share companies, or China-registered companies traded in Hong Kong, from nine to 10.

    Aluminum Corp of China is an H-share company, while Tencent is a red chip - a company listed and registered in Hong Kong but with most of its assets in mainland China.

    Traders said the addition of H-share companies reflected rising investor interest in China. The market expects the companies to report high earnings growth and investment returns, given the nation's rapid economic growth.

    Analysts had not expected the index compiler to make changes after its latest review, and no reasons were given for the de-listings. However, market participants have long anticipated that PCCW would be removed from the Hang Seng Index because of low turnover since 2004.

    The other nine H-share companies in the index are PetroChina, China Shenhua Energy, China Life Insurance Co, China Construction Bank Corp, Industrial & Commercial Bank of China Ltd, Bank of Communications Co, Bank of China Ltd, Ping An Insurance (Group) Co of China Ltd and China Petroleum & Chemical Corp.

    (Source: Shanghai Daily/Agencies)