(Adds Shanghai closing prices, updates London prices) BEIJING, Jan 16 (Reuters) - London copper prices advanced for a second straight session on Wednesday, as a weaker dollar made the base metal cheaper for holders of other currencies, and indications of more stimulus from top consumer China buoyed investor sentiment. In a sign of improving liquidity, Chinese banks extended far more new loans in December than expected, bringing last year's tally to a record $2.4 trillion. Visible copper stocks around the world are "relatively low" and could support prices, brokerage GF Futures said in a note, but warned that Chinese copper demand could still take a turn for the worse. China copper import premiums SMM-CUYP-CN have risen to $73 a tonne from an 18-month low of $62.50 in early December, indicating greater near-term demand for the physical metal. FUNDAMENTALS * LME COPPER: Three-month copper on the London Metal Exchange was up 0.8 percent at $5,968 a tonne, as of 0705 GMT, extending Tuesday's 0.4 percent gain. * SHFE COPPER: The most-traded March copper contract on the Shanghai Futures Exchange closed up 1.1 percent at 47,380 yuan ($7,004.94) a tonne, marking its first gain in four sessions. * BREXIT: British lawmakers defeated Prime Minister Theresa May's Brexit divorce deal by a crushing margin on Tuesday, triggering political chaos. * CHINA: China on Tuesday signalled more stimulus measures in the near term as it aims to achieve "a good start to 2019" in the first quarter. * ALUMINIUM: London aluminium rose as much as 1.7 percent to a one-week high of $1,876.50 after the U.S. Senate voted to move ahead with a resolution disapproving of a Trump administration plan to ease sanctions on Russian aluminium giant Rusal. * ALUMINA: Norsk Hydro said Brazil's northern state of Para has lifted a production embargo on its Alunorte alumina refinery but noted full production will not resume until a federal court follows suit. * OTHER METALS: Zinc rose as much as 2.6 percent in Shanghai to 20,890 yuan a tonne, the highest since Dec. 21, before closing at 20,860 yuan. The metal used to galvanise steel was also up 1.7 percent in London. Shanghai nickel closed up 1.6 percent at 93,230 yuan a tonne after hitting its highest since Dec. 3, 2018. * For the top stories in metals and other news, click or MARKETS NEWS * Global share markets and the sterling weathered a UK political storm as investors wagered that London will have no choice but to delay its Brexit deadline to avoid a disorderly exit from the European Union. PRICES BASE METALS PRICES 0707 GMT Three month LME copper 5970.5 Most active ShFE copper 47370 Three month LME aluminium 1870 Most active ShFE aluminium 13400 Three month LME zinc 2496 Most active ShFE zinc 20855 Three month LME lead 1977 Most active ShFE lead 17585 Three month LME nickel 11680 Most active ShFE nickel 93220 Three month LME tin 20690 Most active ShFE tin 148750 BASE METALS ARBITRAGE LME/SHFE COPPER LMESHFCUc3 472.73 LME/SHFE ALUMINIUM LMESHFALc3 -1277.79 LME/SHFE ZINC LMESHFZNc3 624.19 LME/SHFE LEAD LMESHFPBc3 1284.88 LME/SHFE NICKEL LMESHFNIc3 3946.9 ($1 = 6.7638 Chinese yuan) (Reporting by Tom Daly, Editing by Sherry Jacob-Phillips and Subhranshu Sahu)