Investors look at the index screen at a stock market in Shenyang, capital of northeast China's Liaoning Province, Nov. 16, 2009. The benchmark Shanghai Composite Index, which covers both A and B shares, climbed 2.74 percent to 3,275.05 points, its highest point since Aug. 6. The Shenzhen Component Index added 3.28 percent to 13,699.68 points. (Xinhua/Li Gang) Photo Gallery>>>

    BEIJING, Nov. 16 (Xinhua) -- Chinese equities rose 2.74 percent Monday on the release of figures showing a further monthly rise in foreign direct investment (FDI).

    The benchmark Shanghai Composite Index, which covers both A and B shares, climbed 2.74 percent to 3,275.05 points, its highest point since Aug. 6.

An investor looks at the index screen at a stock market in Shenyang, capital of northeast China's Liaoning Province, Nov. 16, 2009. The benchmark Shanghai Composite Index, which covers both A and B shares, climbed 2.74 percent to 3,275.05 points, its highest point since Aug. 6. The Shenzhen Component Index added 3.28 percent to 13,699.68 points.(Xinhua/Li Gang) Photo Gallery>>>

    The Shenzhen Component Index added 3.28 percent to 13,699.68 points.

    The amount of foreign direct investment China received climbed for the third consecutive month in October, up 5.7 percent year on year to 7.1 billion U.S. dollars, the Ministry of Commerce said Monday.

    Total turnover expanded sharply to 366.6 billion yuan (53.7 billion U.S. dollars) Monday from 274.8 billion yuan on the previous trading day.

    This showed latest positive data had sparked investor enthusiasm, Zhang Yunpeng, an analyst with Beijing-based Huarong Securities, told Xinhua.

    China's industrial output, investment and retail sales picked up pace in October, while the export slump slowed, according to figures released by the National Bureau of Statistics on Wednesday.

    Airline shares rose across the board, as carriers benefited from a new pricing mechanism of fuel surcharges linked to jet fuel costs, which came into effect Saturday, in a bid to offset rising fuel prices, Zhang said.

    Air China added 6.79 percent to hit 8.96 yuan per share, and China Southern Airlines jumped 7.27 percent to reach 6.49 yuan per share.

    The government raised gasoline and diesel prices both by 480 yuan per tonne from last Tuesday. Fuel costs are estimated to account for 40 percent of leading airline companies' total costs.

    Shanghai property shares performed well, boosted by the plan to build a Disney theme park in the city, with Pudong Golden Bridge, a leading local developer, up 2.94 percent to 15.39 yuan per share.

    Resource and energy shares boosted the index up, on the rising gold and other commodity prices.

    Zhongjin Gold Corp., China's leading gold producer, advanced 2.16 percent to 61.1 yuan per share. China Shenhua, the nation's largest coal producer, surged 5.89 percent to 37.59 yuan per share.

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