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Beijing’s investment plan lifts mainland China’s stock markets

Shanghai exchange climbs after government rolls out funding strategy for 1,043 projects

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Investors look over stock prices on display terminals at a brokerage house in Yichang, Hubei province. Photo: AP

Shanghai's stock market staged its biggest rally in four months, thanks to the government's plan to seek private capital for projects worth 1.97 trillion yuan (HK$2.5 trillion) to help revive sluggish investment.

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The Shanghai Composite Index was up by 3.35 per cent to close at 4,813.80 yesterday, posting the biggest single-day rise since January 21, while the Shenzhen market ended 1.9 per cent higher. The two markets saw combined transactions amounting to more than 2 trillion yuan.

The National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) yesterday rolled out investment plans covering 1,043 projects under the public-private-partnership (PPP) model. It came on the same day state-run published a long article stressing the key role of investment in bolstering growth.

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"Whether savings can be transformed into effective investment to help stabilise growth has become a key issue," the ruling Communist Party's mouthpiece said, citing an unidentified "authoritative source".

The paper, which in recent months has run a string of articles to inform the public about the stock markets and the nation's economic outlook, is seen by investors as an important window on Beijing's thinking on policy.

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