File photo: CGTN

BEIJING, Jan. 20 (Xinhua) -- Chinese stocks closed higher on Wednesday, with the benchmark Shanghai Composite Index up 0.47 percent, at 3,583.09 points.

The Shenzhen Component Index closed 1.46 percent higher at 15,223.36 points.

The combined turnover of stocks covered by the two indices stood at 915.6 billion yuan (about 141.2 billion U.S. dollars), down from 1.04 trillion yuan on the previous trading day.

Steel shares led the rise, while stocks related to the printing and non-ferrous metal sectors also gained. Shares of the insurance, real estate, telecommunication services and cement sectors posted relatively weak performances.

The ChiNext Index, tracking China's NASDAQ-style board of growth enterprises, gained 3.9 percent to close at 3,204.93 points Wednesday.