China's strategists bracing for deeper bear market

New York

THERE will be little let up for investors in China's beleaguered stock market. That's the consensus of strategists interviewed last week as the benchmark Shanghai Composite Index fell into a bear market on waning confidence that the government can manage the country's transition to a new growth model and to a more freely-traded currency.

Analysts from Bocom International Holdings Co and Wells Fargo Funds Management say the index may drop 14 per cent from Friday's close to 2,500.

Zhongtai Securities Co sees the gauge losing as much as 300 points, or 10 per cent, before bot…