The Shanghai Futures Exchange (SHFE) has released draft rules to allow extended trading sessions for its futures contracts, with gold and silver the most likely to be chosen for the pilot scheme, the official China Securities Journal reported on Thursday.

The exchange now allows trading from 9.00am to 11.30am (0100-0330 GMT) and from 1.30pm to 3.00pm (0530-0700 GMT). The extended trading hours would close the gap between domestic and international markets.