Chinese stocks close higher on thin trade

Chinese shares closed higher on Wednesday with lighter-than-usual trading volumes, as the latest upbeat jobs data buoyed investor confidence.

The benchmark Shanghai Composite Index went up 16.83 points, or 0.84 percent, to close at 2,024.95. The Shenzhen Component Index edged up 53.47 points, or 0.75 percent, to close at 7,204.65.

Combined turnover slightly shrank to 113.47 billion yuan (about 18.42 billion U.S. dollars) from 119.53 billion yuan on the previous trading day.

China added 4.73 million jobs in the first four months of 2014, slightly more than the number created in the same period last year, figures from the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security (MHRSS) showed on Wednesday.

The coal sector led the gains on the latest news that China will regulate the fragmented coal trading market and push forward the building of two to three national-level trading markets. Datong Coal Mine, a leading coal producer, surged 9.93 percent to 6.2 yuan per share.