BEIJING, March 20 (Xinhua) - Chinese stocks opened lower on Wednesday, with the benchmark Shanghai Composite Index down 0.22 percent to open at 3,084.17 points.

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The Shenzhen Component Index opened 0.12 percent lower at 9,828.07 points. 

The ChiNext Index, China's NASDAQ-style board of growth enterprises, was down 0.42 percent to open at 1,701.73 points Wednesday. 

The ChiNext Index, together with the Shenzhen Component Index and the Shenzhen SME (small- and medium-sized enterprises) Board Index, are major indices reflecting the performance of stocks listed on the Shenzhen Stock Exchange.