* SSEC -0.13%, CSI300 -0.37%, HSI flat

* Consumer staple firms, industrials drop

* NEV companies fall sharply for second day

SHANGHAI, Nov 26 (Reuters) - China's benchmark stock index slipped on Thursday, weighed down by consumer staples and industrial firms, while new-energy vehicle (NEV) shares extended their fall over news of probes by local governments into their projects.

** At the midday break, the Shanghai Composite index was down 0.13% at 3,358.01 points. ** China's blue-chip CSI300 index was down 0.37%, with the consumer staples sector down 0.38%, the real estate index down 0.58% and the healthcare sub-index down 0.88%. ** Industrial firms fell 0.83%, but Huaitai Securities analysts said overall domestic demand remains strong despite some moderation in high-frequency indexes since October. ** "Although there has been a marginal weakening of production activity since mid-November, many indexes including transactions, prices and inventories reflect terminal demand remains relatively strong," they said. ** The new energy vehicle sub-index fell 2.51%, on top of a 2.16% drop a day earlier on news that China's state planner has told local governments to investigate new energy vehicle (NEV) projects linked to property developers Evergrande Group and Shenzhen Baoneng. ** Chinese H-shares listed in Hong Kong rose 0.6% to 10,621.14, but the Hang Seng Index was barely higher at 26,672.52. ** The smaller Shenzhen index was down 0.73%, the start-up board ChiNext Composite index was weaker by 0.52% and Shanghai's tech-focused STAR50 index was down 0.3%. ** Around the region, MSCI's Asia ex-Japan stock index was weaker by 0.57% while Japan's Nikkei index was up 0.54%. ** The yuan was quoted at 6.568 per U.S. dollar, 0.18% stronger than the previous close of 6.58. ** So far this year, the Shanghai stock index is up 10.1% and the CSI300 has risen 19.4%, while China's H-share index listed in Hong Kong is down 4.9%. Shanghai stocks have risen 4.14% this month. (Reporting by Andrew Galbraith; Editing by Vinay Dwivedi)