BEIJING, May 21 (Reuters) - Chicago corn futures fell on Thursday as beneficial weather in the U.S. Midwest favoured early crop germination and potential yields.

Wheat fell, while soybeans were almost flat.

FUNDAMENTALS

* The most-active corn contract on the Chicago Board of Trade (CBOT) Cv1 dropped 0.4% to $4.64-1/4 a bushel by 0140 GMT. Soybeans Sv1 were unchanged at $11.99-1/4 a bushel, while wheat Wv1 lost 0.8% to $6.55-1/4 a bushel.

* Rains have boosted soil moisture in the Midwest, favouring early germination of crops, forecaster Vaisala said. Next week, warmer-than-normal temperatures in the northern Midwest should accelerate early growth, the firm said.

* Crop weather looked generally favourable for early development of U.S. soybean crops as well, analysts said.

* Traders also monitored potential for rain in the drought-hit U.S. Plains for wheat production, though months of dryness have already left wheat fields with wide cracks and stunted crops.

* The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) reported on Monday soybean inspections for the week ended May 14 at 483,881 metric tons and for corn inspections at 1,378,770 tons. The U.S. corn crop was 76% planted, as of Sunday, up from 57% a week earlier, the agency said.

* In China, soybean imports from the U.S. in April more than doubled from a year earlier, as cargoes booked after Beijing resumed purchases late last year gradually arrived at Chinese ports. China is the world's largest soybean buyer.

MARKET NEWS:

* Stocks rose on Thursday as some vessels resumed passage through the Strait of Hormuz, while forecast-beating results at Nvidia and a suspended workers' strike at Samsung Electronics lifted shares of chipmakers. MKTS/GLOB O/R

DATA/EVENTS (GMT)

0715 France HCOB Mfg, Services, Composite Flash PMI May

0730 Germany HCOB Mfg, Services, Composite Flash PMI May

0800 EU HCOB Mfg, Services, Composite Flash PMI May

0830 UK Flash Manufacturing, Services, Composite PMI May

1230 US Housing Starts Number Apr

1230 US Initial Jobless Clm May 16, w/e

1230 US Philly Fed Business Indx May

1345 US S&P Global Mfg, Scvc, Comp PMI Flash May

1400 EU Consumer Confid. Flash May