Financial, defense shares boost stock market

BEIJING - Chinese stocks produced their best performance in almost a month on Monday, led by financial and defense shares.

Recovering from Friday's 1.8 percent fall, the benchmark Shanghai Composite Index moved up 3.06 percent, or 68.74 points, to end at 2,311.74. The Shenzhen Component Index climbed 3.31 percent, or 298.54 points, to 9,316.27.

Combined turnover on the two bourses rose to 248.3 billion yuan ($39.41 billion) from 207 billion yuan the previous trading day.

Gainers outnumbered losers by 963 to 7 in Shanghai and by 1,505 to 12 in Shenzhen.

Financial shares led the rises.

On Monday at the Asia Financial Forum, Guo Shuqing, China Securities Regulatory Commission chairman, said China can increase 10 times the current level of investment quota for Renminbi Qualified Foreign Institutional Investment (RQFII) and QFII to allow more foreign investors to buy the country's securities.

Sinolink Securities Co rose by the 10-percent daily limit to close at 18.25 yuan per share. Industrial and Commercial Bank of China, the country's largest lender by market value, rose 2.14 percent to finish at 4.29 yuan per share.

Defense shares including aviation manufacturers and shipbuilders also rallied after tensions over the Diaoyu Islands grew during the past week.

Hafei Aviation Industry Co jumped by the 10-percent daily limit to end at 21.24 yuan per share, while CSSC Jiangnan Heavy Industry Co, a leading ship builder, gained 6.93 percent to finish at 15.28 yuan per share.