China media in bid to rekindle interest in stocks

[BEIJING] China's state- run media are trying to do something the securities industry has failed to accomplish for much of the past three years: get the world's biggest population to buy more stocks.

The official Xinhua News Agency published at least eight articles this week advocating equity investing after similar stories appeared in the People's Daily newspaper and on state-run television last month, part of what Everbright Securities Co says is an increased government push to bolster the market.

Authorities have also cut trading fees, made it cheaper to open new accounts and organised investor presentations by the biggest listed banks in the past two weeks.