Chinese shares close higher Thursday

Chinese stocks closed higher on Thursday, with the benchmark Shanghai Composite Index up 0.97 percent to 4,007.76 points.

The Shenzhen Component Index closed 1.73 percent higher at 13,452.42 points.

Chinese shares close higher Thursday

A closed-door preliminary hearing was held on Wednesday at the Moscow Arbitration Court in a lawsuit filed by the Bank of Russia against Euroclear over the frozen Russian assets.

The case marks the latest legal move by Russia's central bank to recover assets frozen in Europe, with the entire pretrial session conducted behind closed doors after the plaintiff requested confidentiality, citing the involvement of banking and state secrets.

In the next stage of the case, a substantive hearing scheduled for April 10, will also be held closed-door, according to the court. Russian experts say a favorable ruling in domestic courts could lay the groundwork for further legal action at the international level.

The Bank of Russia has indicated that it is considering pursuing its claims through international courts and arbitration bodies and will seek recognition and enforcement of any rulings in member states of the United Nations.

In December 2025, the Council of the European Union announced a decision to freeze Russian assets within the bloc indefinitely. Following the move, the Russian central bank filed a lawsuit with the Moscow Arbitration Court, seeking more than 18 trillion rubles (about 231 billion U.S. dollars) in compensation from Euroclear, which holds a substantial portion of the frozen funds.

Russia holds closed-door hearing over frozen asset in Moscow