Hong Kong - Hong Kong shares rose strongly for a second-straight day Thursday, climbing by nearly 4 per cent in the last day of trading before a holiday weekend.

The blue-chip Hang Seng Index gained 564.04 points, or 3.77 per cent, to close at 15,520.99. Turnover was a relatively robust 70.9 billion Hong Kong dollars (9.14 billion US dollars).

The rise followed a 2.8-per-cent climb Wednesday after improved consumer confidence in the United States and optimism about increased lending in mainland China.

Earlier this week, the index fell for two consecutive days, partly because of the negative impact on stocks from the swine-flu outbreak.

Friday is a public holiday in Hong Kong to mark May Day, and its market is closed.