Financial and heavyweight counters pull key share index lower

China stocks fell today with financial and heavyweight counters under pressure.

The Shanghai Composite Index shed 0.32 percent to close at 3,292.44 points.

China Life Insurance retreated 2.96 percent to 30.14 yuan. Industrial Bank dipped 0.46 percent and China Citic Bank Corp lost 1.28 percent. Gemdale Corporation fell 2.09 percent to 11.71 yuan.

But among the general retreat in the stock market some counters continued to rally.  China Eastern Airline advanced 1.21 percent and Air China rose 0.98 percent to 11.38 yuan.  

Retail shares and shopping center operators bucked the downward trend amid expectations that deeper collaboration with Internet companies including Alibaba Group and Tencent would boost their operational efficiency and profitability. Sanjiang Shopping Club Co rose 2.62 percent to 23.92 yuan and Wangfujing Group Co Ltd surged by the daily limit of 10 percent to 21.62 yuan.