Construction at the top of the agenda after earthquake

SHANGHAI - Stocks on the Chinese mainland rose on Monday for the first time in three days, led by drug producers and steelmakers.

The advance came on speculation that the Japanese earthquake will spur demand for materials that will help the country's reconstruction efforts.

Angang Steel Co and Baosteel gained after UOB-Kay Hian Holdings Ltd said Japan is likely to increase imports of steel from Asian countries, particularly China. Beijing Tongrentang Co, a maker of traditional Chinese medicine, jumped to the level highest in three months. China Southern Airlines Co led declines for carriers after canceling flights to Japan.

The Shanghai Composite Index rose 0.13 percent to 2937.63 at the 3 pm close. The CSI 300 Index added 0.48 percent to 3262.92.

"The earthquake in Japan may have a limited effect on the stock market," said Tu Jun, a strategist at Shanghai Securities Co. "The market priced in the negative impact the previous trading day. The quake's effect is more on the psychological side."

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The Japanese quake's effect on global equity markets is "likely to be mild" because the country's northeast isn't a key manufacturing base and reconstruction will stimulate demand and spur economic growth, UOB-Kay Hian said.

Rebuilding will require cement, boosting "sentiment" toward regional cement stocks, while Japan is also likely to increase imports of steel and non-ferrous materials, Elvic Ng, an analyst at UOB-Kay Hian, wrote in a report. Coking coal prices are likely to gain on increased steel demand, the report said.

Baosteel climbed 2.12 percent to 7.22 yuan ($1.10). Angang rose 2.55 percent to 8.04 yuan. China Shenhua Energy Co climbed 1.7 percent to 27.44 yuan. Yanzhou Coal Mining Co advanced 1.8 percent to 31.62 yuan.

A gauge of drugmakers in the CSI 300 jumped 2.7 percent, the most in a month. Beijing Tongrentang surged 6.86 percent to 38.16 yuan, the highest since Dec 1. Shanghai Pharmaceuticals Holding Co rose 3.07 percent to 21.83 yuan.

"The earthquake reminded people of medical relief and boosted buying sentiment for drug makers," said Zhou Rui, an analyst at China Jiayin Investment Securities Co. "That also happened after the quake in China's Sichuan province in 2008."

The earthquake will have a limited effect on China's economy, according to Shenyin & Wanguo Securities Co.

China's exports to Japan may rise after the quake, according to Bank of America Merrill Lynch. China's exports may pick up as a substitute for a loss in Japanese production, Ting Lu, economist at Bank of America, said in a report on Monday, citing data showing the nation's exports surged after the 1995 Kobe earthquake.

About 8 percent of China's exports go to Japan and 12 percent of the nation's imports are from that country, he said. The "uncertainty" caused by the earthquake may also delay further policy tightening measures in China, according to Bank of America.

Bloomberg News