Chinese shares close higher Thursday

BEIJING, Oct. 31 (Xinhua) — Chinese stocks closed higher on Thursday, with the benchmark Shanghai Composite Index up 0.42 percent to 3,279.82 points.
The Shenzhen Component Index closed 0.57 percent higher at 10,591.22 points.
The combined turnover of the two indices stood at 2.22 trillion yuan (about 331.58 billion U.S. dollars) — up from 1.85 trillion yuan recorded on the previous trading day.
Stocks related to leasing industry led the gains, while those in the accommodation sector suffered major losses.
The ChiNext Index, tracking China’s Nasdaq-style board of growth enterprises, gained 0.6 percent to close at 2,164.46 points Thursday. ■