SHANGHAI, Feb 19 (Reuters) – China shares began the year of the Dragon in an upbeat mood on Monday as investors returning from the week-long Lunar New Year break snapped up tourism and entertainment stocks after buoyant holiday spending. Traders were also inspired by last week’s robust performance in Hong Kong stocks and U.S.-listed Chinese companies, as well as overseas advances in artificial intelligence (AI). Some bet the government will roll out more measures soon to support China’s struggling economy and the market. China is expected to trim its benchmark mortgage reference rate at a monthly fixing on Tuesday, despite keeping a key policy rate unchanged on Sunday. China’s blue-chip CSI300 Index rose 1.2% in its fourth consecutive session of…
