Leo Zhang/Shanghai Daily news

Shanghai shares inched up yesterday after 18 companies improved compensation to minority stock owners as part of plans to trim government stockholdings, sparking optimism of more benefits to investors.
The Shanghai Composite Index, which tracks both yuan-denominated A shares and hard-currency B shares, gained 0.65 percent to 1,105.75.
The A share index added 0.65 percent to 1,162.12 and the B share index edged up 0.05 percent to 62.19.
"Investors now have more chances to make their voices heard through negotiations with major shareholders," said Li Zhi, a Hualin Securities Co analyst. "Increasing bonus stock to public shareholders has become common during the restructuring process."
A total of 18 firms listed in Shanghai and Shenzhen yesterday unveiled proposals to boost compensation to an average of 2.86 shares for every 10 held from 2.59 shares earlier, according to separate corporate filings.
China relaunched a twice-scrapped program in May to dispose of as much as US$250 billion of mostly state shareholdings in 1,300-plus publicly traded companies.
Under the arrangement, controlling stock holders must offer stock, cash or warrants to minority investors to compensate losses linked to an increase in number of shares.
Baoshan Iron & Steel Co, the listed unit of China's biggest steelmaker, jumped 1.80 percent to 3.95 yuan. Jiangxi Copper Co, the nation's largest producer of the metal, was up 0.43 percent to 4.70 yuan.
China Petroleum & Chemical Corp, Asia's biggest refiner, shed 0.24 percent to 4.13 yuan after the company's parent signed agreements to gain US$1.1 billion of loans from 14 banks to fund purchases of assets overseas.
Elsewhere, put warrants of Wuhuan Iron & Steel Co jumped 41.1 percent to close at 1.16 yuan yesterday. The firm's call warrants soared 69.8 percent to 0.82 yuan.