Weak performance of regional markets and lingering concerns over nuclear crisis in Japan continued to weigh on Chinese shares Thursday, sending the indexes down by more than half percent in the morning session.
The benchmark Shanghai Composite Index dropped 14.83 points, or 0.51 percent, to finish the morning session at 2,915.98.
The Shenzhen Component Index weakened 77.08 points, or 0.6 percent, to end the morning break at 12,788.68.
The U.S. and European equity markets extended their losses to a third day on Wednesday, as the Wall Street shed 2 percent overnight to erase all of its gains in 2011.
Shares of Tokyo stock exchange shed more than 2 percent in the morning session Thursday, and Hang Seng Index in Hong Kong also lost 2.2 percent in the early trading.
