China stocks close lower on Thursday

Chinese shares had a roller-coaster ride on Thursday, with both the Shanghai and Shenzhen bourses dragged down by sectors including coal and non-ferrous metals despite gains in the morning session.

The benchmark Shanghai Composite Index fell 0.74 percent to end at 2,206.47 points. The Shenzhen Component Index lost 1.09 percent to close at 7,893.90 points.

Total turnover on the two bourses shrank slightly to 307.58 billion yuan (49.98 billion U.S. dollars) from 313.19 billion yuan the previous trading day.

The State Council, or China's cabinet, announced a set of policies to support China's insurance industry on Wednesday. However, the sector ended 1.26 percent lower despite a rally on Thursday morning.

Heavyweights including the coal, non-ferrous metals and the steel sectors fell across the board. The coal sector dipped 2.56 percent, led by Anyuan Coal Industry Group Co., Ltd., whose shares fell 9.96 percent to close at 5.06 yuan per share.

Bucking the trend, stocks related to online games edged up 1.42 percent on Thursday. Beijing Bewinner Communications Co., Ltd., an IT services provider, rose 10 percent to close at 21.32 yuan per share.