Mainland exchanges in upward trend for third consecutive day

Stock markets in the Chinese mainland continued to rise for a third consecutive day on Wednesday, backed by gains in technology and industrial instrument companies.

The benchmark Shanghai Composite Index inched up by 13.45 points or 0.64 percent to 2,106.35 points on Wednesday. The Shenzhen Component Index rose by 68.94 points or 0.86 percent to 8,096.37 points.

Combined turnover on the two bourses on Wednesday was 146.4 billion yuan ($24.11 billion), slightly up from Tuesday's 140.7 billion yuan.

ChiNext, China's NASDAQ-style board for high-tech and fast-growing start-ups listed in Shenzhen, showed strong performance on Wednesday with 24 stocks jumping by the daily limit of 10 percent. The index closed up by 29.52 points or 2.34 percent at 1,288.34 points on Wednesday, led by the Internet and industrial instrument sectors.

A central rural working conference held in Beijing that closed on Tuesday focused on the need to improve the country's food safety, boosting related stocks. ChiNext-listed Jiangsu Skyray Instrument and Ningbo Xianfeng New Material Co both rose by the 10 percent daily limit to 21.31 yuan and 18.32 yuan, respectively.

Shares in technology and Internet firms rose while drugmakers and coal firms fell.

Software companies outperformed, with Shanghai Baosight Software Co rising by the daily limit of 10 percent on Wednesday to 24.72 yuan.

Shares in biopharmaceutical companies fell on Wednesday amid reports about babies dying after being vaccinated against hepatitis B. Xinhua News Agency reported Tuesday that the number of suspected vaccine-related deaths had reached eight in the country.

Beijing Tiantan Biological Products Corp fell by the daily limit of 10 percent to 21.65 yuan while Shandong Lukang Pharmaceutical Co declined by 3.93 percent to 5.13 yuan.