China and Hong Kong shares declined on Wednesday as investors awaited trade data for clues about the health of the world's second-largest economy, while Sunac China led property stocks higher after it was included in the Stock Connect program.

 

** China's blue-chip CSI 300 Index dropped 0.65%, while the Shanghai Composite Index slid 0.34%.

** Hong Kong's Hang Seng Index declined 0.82%, and the Hang Seng China Enterprises Index fell 0.86%.

** China is set to release its August trade data on Thursday. Both exports and imports are expected to further contract on a year-on-year basis, but at a slower pace.

** This will follow a notable decline in the August Caixin/S&P Global services purchasing managers' index published on Tuesday, indicating that bigger stimulus is needed to revive the economy.

** China's current economic woes are caused by both cyclical and structural factors, thus require measures on both fronts, said Wang Tao, chief China economist at UBS.

** "To put the economy on a stronger recovery path, the most urgent task is to prevent property activities from sliding further," she said, suggesting further relaxation in purchase restrictions and more support for property developers.

** In a commentary on Wednesday, state media Securities Times called for the removal of property selling and buying restrictions, as well as selling price limitations in most of the non-tier 1 cities.

** Hong Kong-listed mainland property developers jumped 3% as investors bet on more easing measures for the sector.

** Sunac China, one of the country's largest private developers, soared more than 60% after it was included in the Stock Connect program and its property services arm Sunac Services Holdings said it was considering payment of a special dividend.

** Heavyweight tech firms listed in Hong Kong underperformed, losing 1.5%.

** In mainland A-shares, the CSI Anime Comic Game sub-index fell over 2% to lead the decline. (Reporting by Summer Zhen; Editing by Subhranshu Sahu)