Chinese shares close mixed on Wednesday

Chinese shares closed mixed on Wednesday, with the benchmark Shanghai Composite Index up for a fourth straight trading day boosted by the transportation sector and the oil industry.

The benchmark Shanghai Composite Index added 0.62 percent, or 13.57 points, to finish at 2,211.77. The Shenzhen Component Index shed 0.16 percent, or 13.76 points, to finish at 8,667.77.

Combined turnover on the two bourses expanded to 247.39 billion yuan (40.27 billion U.S. dollars) from 239.69 billion yuan the previous trading day.

A total of 62 stocks rose by their daily limit of 10 percent on Wednesday. Another 165 gained more than 5 percent.

The transportation sector, especially stocks concerned with harbor or maritime transportation led Wednesday's rises, with the sub-index for this sector up 3.32 percent.

Sinotrans Air Transportation Development Co., Ltd., a company specializing in air freight services, rose by the maximum 10 percent while China Merchants Energy Shipping Co., Ltd. also advanced by its daily limit.

The oil industry also registered hefty gains, with Beijing-based Sino Geophysical Co., Ltd. rising by 9.98 percent to 18.51 yuan per share.

The ChiNext Index, tracking China's Nasdaq-style board of growth enterprises, surged 2.03 percent to close at 1,415.83 points and posted a total turnover of 31.5 billion yuan.