Special report: Strong Earthquake Jolts SW China

    BEIJING, May 15 (Xinhua) -- Chinese shares were 0.55 percent lower on Thursday, reflecting persistent concerns over further macroeconomic tightening.

    The benchmark Shanghai Composite Index closed at 3,637.32 points, down 20.11 points. The Shenzhen Component Index eased 122.18 points, or 0.9 percent, to close at 13,410.15 points.

    The Hushen 300 Index, which tracks the performance of both the Shanghai and Shenzhen exchanges, closed at 3,948.1, down 0.7 percent.

    Combined turnover shrank from Wednesday's 186.07 billion yuan (26.6 billion U.S. dollars) to 125.7 billion yuan.