Chinese shares edged up Tuesday, supported by stocks related to the Shanghai free trade zone.

The benchmark Shanghai Composite Index rose 0.09 percent to 3,393.34, while the Shenzhen Component Index closed 0.49 percent higher at 11,367.62.

Combined turnover on the two bourses shrank to 431.9 billion yuan (about 65.1 billion U.S. dollars) from 562.48 billion yuan the previous trading day.

The ChiNext Index, which tracks China's NASDAQ-style enterprises, climbed 0.74 percent to close at 1,869.79.

Tuesday's recovery came after a stock market decline Monday, as policy signals for free trade port construction shored up investor sentiment.

The Ministry of Commerce was working with the Shanghai Municipality and other departments on making plans for building free trade ports, a ministry spokesperson said Thursday.

Shares of Shanghai International Port (Group) jumped 7.5 percent to 8.64 yuan Tuesday. Shanghai Material Trading soared by the daily limit of 10 percent to 18.15 yuan.

Cement producers and financial firms dropped the most. Zhejiang-based cement company Zhejiang Jianfeng Group fell 4.7 percent to 17.1 yuan. China Merchants Bank shed 2.5 percent to 27.1 yuan.