BEIJING - Chinese stocks closed lower on Friday, with the benchmark Shanghai Composite Index down 2.26 percent to 4,027.26 points.

The Shenzhen Component Index closed 3.44 percent lower at 15,782.22 points.

The combined turnover of stocks covered by these two indices reached 3.55 trillion yuan ($521 billion), down from 3.59 trillion yuan compared to the previous trading day.

Shares in the education and pork sectors led gains, while those in cobalt metal and the battery industry posted sharp declines.

The ChiNext Index, tracking China's Nasdaq-style board of growth enterprises, lost 4.07 percent to close at 4,194.21 points.

The STAR Composite Index, which reflects the performance of stocks on China's sci-tech innovation board, closed 2.02 percent lower at 2,343.66 points.