Shanghai index falls below 2,000

Stock markets in the Chinese mainland began the week with a decline on Monday, with the main Shanghai index falling below the 2,000 level.

The benchmark Shanghai Composite Index slid by 13.70 points or 0.68 percent to 1,991.25 points on Monday. It was the first time the index had fallen below 2,000 since July 31, when it closed at 1,993.79 points. The Shenzhen Component Index fell by 20.24 points or 0.27 percent to 7,524.33 points on Monday.

Combined turnover on the two bourses on Monday was 135.94 billion yuan ($22.46 billion), down from Friday's 145.09 billion yuan.

The decline on Monday came after the National Bureau of Statistics said the country's economy grew by 7.7 percent year-on-year in 2013, the same as in 2012 and the lowest level since 1999.

On Monday, Internet game developers gained strongly as investors bet on fast growth in the industry. Beijing-based iRearch said last week that China's Internet game market was worth 89.16 billion yuan in 2013, up 32.9 percent year-on-year.

Dalian Kemian Wood Industry climbed by the daily limit of 10 percent to 25.41 yuan on Monday, its fifth consecutive rise of 10 percent. The firm said on January 14 that it would acquire a Web game company.

Hedy Holding Co, which owns a subsidy that is engaged in game developing, soared by the daily limit of 10 percent to 6.91 yuan.

Shares linked to environmental protection outperformed on Monday after Xin-hua News Agency reported Sunday that the government had put the environmental issue as one of its top policy priorities. Beijing SDL Technology rose by 7.24 percent to 21.77 yuan while Hebei Saihero Environmental Protection High-tech Co jumped by 10 percent to 20.67 yuan.

Neway Valve (Suzhou) Co, which soared 43.49 percent on its debut in Shanghai on Friday, fell by the daily limit of 10 percent on Monday to 22.81 yuan.

ChiNext, China's NASDAQ-style board for high-tech and fast-growing start-ups listed in Shenzhen, declined on Monday by 22.77 points or 1.63 percent to 1,372.74 points at the close.