Chinese shares close lower at midday Friday

BEIJING, March 8 (Xinhua) -- Chinese shares closed lower at midday index.html" target="_blank">index.html" target="_blank">Friday, with the benchmark Shanghai Composite index.html" target="_blank">index down 2.90 percent to close at 3,016.22 points.

The Shenzhen Component index.html" target="_blank">index went down 1.55 percent to 9,528.02 points at midday.