(Yicai Global) May 8 -- Stock markets on the Chinese mainland opened sharply lower today after the world's major stock markets continued to slide overnight.

The Shanghai Composite Index started down 1.82 percent at 2,873.14, while the Shenzhen Component Index opened 2.1 percent weaker at 8,899.91. The ChiNext Price Index, which tracks growth enterprises listed in Shenzhen, began the day down 2.32 percent at 1,469.24.

The slide follows major stock indexes in Japan, Europe and the US, which all plunged by more than one percent yesterday.

Editor: James Boynton