China shares down slightly

Chinese shares were down slightly in morning trade on Wednesday, despite a slight improvement in manufacturing activity for April, dealers said. The benchmark Shanghai Composite Index slipped 0.29 per cent, or 6.05 points, to 2,066.78. The Shenzhen Composite Index, which tracks stocks on China’s second exchange, edged down 0.02 per cent, or 0.18 points, to 1,066.32. British bank HSBC said Wednesday its preliminary purchasing managers' index (PMI) for China rose to 48.3 in April, up from 48.0 in March, according to AFP.