(Yicai Global) Jan. 24 -- China's stock markets finished up today after a flat afternoon, with the majority of gains coming from a boost in the tech and securities sectors in morning trading after plans for the Shanghai Stock Exchange's new science and technology board got the green light to move ahead. Investors also put an end to a three-day streak of declining trading volumes.

The Shanghai Composite Index closed up 0.41 percent at 2,591.69, with CNY131.5 billion (USD19.4 billion) worth of shares trading hands, CNY26.4 billion more than yesterday. The Shenzhen Composite Index closed at 7,573.52, up 0.66 percent, with a trading volume of CNY169 billion. The ChiNext Price Index, which tracks growth enterprises in Shenzhen, wound up 1.12 percent at 1,265.16 after investors swapped CNY53.4 billion of shares.

Tech companies, particularly chipmakers, were the stars of the show. Shanghai Fullhan Microelectronics [SHE:300613], Hangzhou Silan Microelectronics [SHA:600460] and Infotmic [SHE:000670] all hit the 10 percent daily limit to CNY101.73 (USD15), CNY9.79 and CNY4.21 apiece.

Securities brokers also gained 1.151 percent overall, led by Tianfeng Securities [SHA:601162], which closed up 5.21 percent at CNY7.68, and China Securities [SHA:601066], which gained 5.11 percent to finish at CNY11.1 a share.

These two areas were both bolstered by news that the central government approved plans for the Shanghai bourse's new sci-tech board, which was proposed by Chinese President Xi Jinping in November to help tech firms raise more money and lure foreign investors to the country's stock markets.

Editor: James Boynton