Chinese shares close higher Monday

BEIJING - Chinese stocks closed higher on Monday, with the benchmark Shanghai Composite Index up 2.03 percent, at 3,429.58 points.

The Shenzhen Component Index closed 0.96 percent higher at 13,456.65 points.

The combined turnover of stocks covered by the two indices came in at 823.1 billion yuan ($129.46 billion), up from 818.9 billion yuan on the previous trading day.

Stocks related to oil and gas, water conservancy and steel were among the biggest winners while those related to scenic spots, education and telecommunication led the losses.

The ChiNext Index, tracking China's NASDAQ-style board of growth enterprises, gained 0.31 percent to close at 2,917.86 points Monday.