Chinese shares close higher Tuesday

Chinese stocks closed higher on Tuesday, with the benchmark Shanghai Composite Index up 0.7 percent to 3,497.48 points.

The Shenzhen Component Index closed 1.46 percent higher at 10,588.39 points.

The combined turnover of these two indices stood at 1.45 trillion yuan (about 202.7 billion U.S. dollars), up from 1.21 trillion yuan on the previous trading day.

The photovoltaic sector was among the top performers, while stocks related to insurance and banking led the losses.

The ChiNext Index, tracking China's Nasdaq-style board of growth enterprises, gained 2.39 percent to close at 2,181.08 points.