An investor looks through stock information at a trading hall in a securities firm in Shenyang, capital of northeast China's Liaoning Province. (File photo: Xinhua)

BEIJING, Oct. 18 (Xinhua) -- Chinese stocks closed lower on Thursday, with the benchmark Shanghai Composite Index down 2.94 percent, at 2,486.42 points.

The Shenzhen Component Index closed 2.41 percent lower at 7,187.49 points.