China stocks end flat as investors turn cautious before key central bank meetings

SHANGHAI, Oct 26 (Reuters) - China stocks recouped earlier losses and ended largely flat on Monday, as investors turned cautious ahead of a busy week of major central bank meetings.

** By the close, the benchmark Shanghai Composite index .SSEC was up 0.2%, while the blue-chip CSI300 index .CSI300 was roughly unchanged at 4,103.54 points.

** Tech shares remained among the key losers, with the startup board ChiNext Composite index .CNT falling 1.7% and Shanghai's tech-focused STAR50 index .STAR50 tumbling 2.2%​.

** The CSI 5G communications .CSI931079, which tracks the industry, plunged 4%.

** Partly offsetting the weakness, oil and gas shares bounced, with a sub-index tracking the sector .CSIH30198 rising 2.4%, as persistent attacks on key producer Saudi Arabia kept investors cautious despite hopes for easing tensions between the United States and Iran.

** In the region, stock markets traded cautiously ahead of a week packed with central bank meetings and corporate earnings that will further test investor confidence in the AI boom.

** China stocks were volatile last week, with blue-chip shares posting a record-long weekly losing streak, despite a surge in trading in exchange-traded funds favored by state-backed investors.

** "Concerns over selling caused by trust tax, pressure on ecommerce, a weakening macro and elevated global market volatility have caused an acceleration of China's market correction," analysts at Morgan Stanley said in a note.

** "So for the A-share market, important to watch is when the National Team officially starts to buy in a high-profile way," they said.

** Meanwhile, investors are focused on major central bank meetings this week, with the US Federal Reserve, Bank of Japan and European Central Bank widely expected to keep rates unchanged while maintaining a hawkish tone.

** In Hong Kong, the benchmark Hang Seng index .HSI inched up 0.5%, while the city's tech shares .HSTECH lost 0.4%.