China's stock index futures opened lower on Tuesday with the contract for settlement in October, the most actively traded, down 20.6 points to 2,639.8 points.
The contract for settlement in November opened 25.8 points lower at 2,640 points while the contract for settlement in December opened at 2,646 points, down 25.4 points.
The contract for settlement in March 2012 opened 33.6 points lower at 2,665 points.
The stock-index contracts, agreements to buy or sell the Hushen 300 Index at a present value on an agreed date, are designed to allow investors to bet on and profit from both gains and declines in the market.
The index futures were launched at the China Financial Futures Exchange (CFFEX) and started trading from April 16, 2010. The CFFEX has set the base value for all the four contracts at 3,399 points.
