China stocks tracked other Asian markets higher on Thursday, as investors assessed U.S. interest rate outlook, with banking shares leading the gains.

Asian stocks made their biggest gains in a month on Thursday, while the dollar took a breather and bond markets steadied. Oil found support following its sharpest fall in two-and-a-half months on demand worries and the lack, so far, of an obvious Israeli or U.S. response to Iran's weekend attack on Israel.

** At the close, the Shanghai Composite index was up 0.09% at 3,074.22.

** The blue-chip CSI300 index was up 0.12%, with its financial sector sub-index higher by 1.08%, the consumer staples sector up 0.45%, the real estate index down 0.74% and the healthcare sub-index down 1.05%.

** The smaller Shenzhen index ended down 0.11% and the start-up board ChiNext Composite index was weaker by 0.547%.

** However, investors are still wary about geopolitical tensions, as President Joe Biden on Wednesday called for sharply higher U.S. tariffs on Chinese metal products as part of a package of policies aimed at pleasing steelworkers in the swing state of Pennsylvania, at the risk of angering Beijing.

** The Hang Seng index was up 134.03 points or 0.82% at 16,385.87. The Hang Seng China Enterprises index rose 0.94% to 5,803.86.

** The sub-index of the Hang Seng tracking energy shares dipped 0.9%, while the IT sector rose 0.55%, the financial sector ended 1.78% higher and the property sector rose 0.34%.

** Around the region, MSCI's Asia ex-Japan stock index was firmer by 0.84%, while Japan's Nikkei index closed up 0.31%.

** The largest percentage gainers in the main Shanghai Composite index were Traffic Control Technology Co Ltd , up 20%, followed by Sinocelltech Group Ltd , gaining 14.82%, and Eyebright Medical Technology Beijing Co Ltd, up by 10.46%.

** The top gainer on the Hang Seng was Shenzhou International Group Holdings Ltd, which gained 5.09%, while the biggest loser was Xinyi Glass Holdings Ltd, which fell 4.37%.

(Reporting by Shanghai Newsroom; Editing by Rashmi Aich and Mrigank Dhaniwala)