Chinese shares close lower Friday

BEIJING - Chinese stocks closed lower Friday, with the benchmark Shanghai Composite Index down 0.16 percent, at 3,496.33 points.

The Shenzhen Component Index closed 0.65 percent lower at 15,007.30 points.

The combined turnover of stocks covered by the two indices shrank to 891.1 billion yuan ($137.73 billion) from 942.5 billion yuan the previous trading day.

Shares related to automobiles suffered losses, while banking and tourism were among the sectors that gained the most.

The ChiNext Index, tracking China's NASDAQ-style board of growth enterprises, lost 0.21 percent to close at 3,193.71 points.