Chinese shares close higher Monday

BEIJING, March 18 (Xinhua) -- Chinese stocks closed higher index.html" target="_blank">index.html" target="_blank">Monday with the brewing and steel sectors leading the gains.

The benchmark Shanghai Composite index.html" target="_blank">index rose 2.47 index.html" target="_blank">index.html" target="_blank">percent to close at 3,096.42, while the Shenzhen Component index.html" target="_blank">index increased 3.07 index.html" target="_blank">index.html" target="_blank">percent to 9,843.43.

Combined trading volume of the two index.html" target="_blank">indexes increased to 832.65 billion yuan (around 124.11 billion U.S. dollars), from 750.67 billion yuan the previous trading day.

Most stocks gained, with gainers outnumbering losers by 1,293 to 143 on the Shanghai bourse and 1,898 to 203 on the Shenzhen bourse.

Liquor shares saw a strong performance. Kweichow Moutai Co., Ltd., a leading liquor company, surged 4.22 index.html" target="_blank">index.html" target="_blank">percent to finish at 810.09 yuan, exceeding the 1-trillion-yuan level.

Stocks related to steel saw a notable increase as well. Xining Special Steel Co., Ltd. and Xinjiang Ba Yi Iron Steel Co., Ltd. rose by the daily 10-index.html" target="_blank">index.html" target="_blank">percent limit to 4.47 yuan and 5.02 yuan respectively.

The ChiNext index.html" target="_blank">index, China's NASDAQ-style board, edged up 2.67 index.html" target="_blank">index.html" target="_blank">percent to close at 1,707.06.