BEIJING - Chinese stocks closed higher on Wednesday, with the benchmark Shanghai Composite Index up 0.52 percent to 3,402.32 points.

The Shenzhen Component Index closed 0.83 percent higher at 10,246.02 points.

The combined turnover of these two indices stood at 1.26 trillion yuan (about $175.45 billion), down from 1.42 trillion yuan on the previous trading day.

Shares related to rare earths and auto parts led the gains, while those in the communication service and beverage sectors were among the biggest losers.

The ChiNext Index, which tracks China's Nasdaq-style board of growth enterprises, gained 1.21 percent to close at 2,061.87 points on Wednesday.