Chinese equities lost 1.54 percent on Thursday on profit-taking, trailing the overnight Wall Street losses.

The benchmark Shanghai Composite Index fell 1.54 percent, or 40.79 points, to close at 2,610.62 on Thursday.

The Shenzhen Component Index slid 2.51 percent, or 260.28 points, to 10,108.86.

Combined turnover shrank to 210.06 billion yuan (US$30.78 billion) from 214.6 billion yuan on the previous trading day.

Losses outnumbered gains by 665 to 181 in Shanghai and 597 to 144 in Shenzhen.

(Xinhua News Agency May 21, 2009)