(Yicai  Global) Aug.19 -- Stock markets on the Chinese mainland continued to rise this morning as investors appeared optimistic that new government policies would boost the nation's economy long term.

The Shanghai Composite Index was up 1.47 percent at 2,865.32 when the lunch bell rang today, while the Shenzhen Component Index finished 2.39 percent higher at 9,277.11. The ChiNext Price Index, which tracks growth enterprises listed in Shenzhen, fared the best as it closed up 2.76 percent at 1,611.23.

On Aug. 17, China's central bank unveiled a plan to reform the country's bank loan rate mechanism to cut financing costs for the real economy.

The State Council, China's cabinet, also devised a policy plan for Shenzhen that aims to make the southern tech hub into a world-leading city in terms of economic strength and quality of development by 2025.