BEIJING, July 17 -- Chinese stocks opened higher on Friday, with the benchmark Shanghai Composite Index up 0.22 percent to open at 3,831.42.

The Shenzhen Component Index opened 0.83 percent higher at 12,460.51.

The ChiNext Index, tracking China's NASDAQ-style board of growth enterprises, opened 0.93 percent higher at 2,651.44 points.