BEIJING, March 19 (Xinhua) -- Chinese stocks closed lower on Friday, with the benchmark Shanghai Composite Index down 1.69 percent, at 3,404.66 points.

The Shenzhen Component Index closed 2.56 percent lower at 13,606 points.

The combined turnover of stocks covered by the two indices stood at 772.1 billion yuan (about $118.6 billion), up from 736.7 billion yuan on the previous trading day.

Shares related to electricity and shipbuilding saw strong performances, while those related to mining services and chemical fiber led the losses.

The ChiNext Index, tracking China's NASDAQ-style board of growth enterprises, lost 2.81 percent to close at 2,671.52 points.