BEIJING, Dec. 24 (Xinhua) - China's major stock indices ended lower in the morning session Thursday, with the benchmark Shanghai Composite Index down 0.21 percent at 3,375.21 points.

The Shenzhen Component Index shrank 0.33 percent to end at 13,968.41 points at midday.

The ChiNext Index, tracking China's NASDAQ-style board of growth enterprises, shrank 0.39 percent to 2,831.95 points in the morning session Thursday.