China stock index futures close lower -- June 8

BEIJING - China's stock index futures closed lower Friday as worries over the economic health in the country outweighed an interest rate cut by the central bank in more than three years.

The contract for June, the most actively traded, retreated 0.67 percent from the previous trading day to 2,513 points.

The July contract sank 0.75 percent to close at 2,506 points. The September contract dropped 0.74 percent to 2,515.2 points, while the December contract fell 0.62 percent to finish at 2,544.6 points.

The stock-index contracts, agreements to buy or sell the Hushen 300 Index at a preset value on an agreed date, are designed to allow investors to bet on and profit from both gains and declines in the market.

The index futures was launched at the China Financial Futures Exchange (CFFEX) and started trading from April 16, 2010. The CFFEX has set the base value for all the four contracts at 3,399 points.