(Yicai Global) Aug. 28 -- Automotive shares started up 1 percent on average this morning, buoyed by government support while the Chinese mainland's three major stock benchmarks started mixed.

The Shanghai Composite Index opened just below even at 2901.63, while the Shenzhen Component Index rose 0.07 percent to 9,449.40. The ChiNext Price Index, which tracks growth enterprises listed in Shenzhen, started up 0.11 percent at 1,629.99.

The Chinese government yesterday encouraged regions with car purchasing restrictions, like Shanghai and Beijing, to relax rules and support the purchase of new-energy vehicles, Xinhua News Agency reported.