China expands OTC equity market trial zones

 BEIJING, Aug. 3 (Xinhua) -- Securities regulators on Friday confirmed that the State Council, or China's cabinet, has approved a plan to expand pilot zones for the "new third board," a new over-the-counter (OTC) equity¹ market, to shore up emerging businesses.

The new market is designed to be a platform for fledgling high-tech² and growth enterprises to transfer shares and raise funds for specified³ use.

Pilot areas will be expanded to the Zhangjiang High-tech Industrial Development Zone in Shanghai, East Lake High-Tech Development Zone in central China's city of Wuhan and the Tianjin Binhai High-Tech Industrial Development Area, an unnamed official with the China Securities Regulatory Commission (CBRC) said.

"The move will be conducive⁴ to strengthening support for private, small- and medium-sized businesses," the official said.

The OTC board is one of a series of recent measures by Chinese policymakers to expand access to credit for small and private firms that have largely been shut out of China's financial system, which is dominated by state-owned banks lending to state-owned companies.

China has already established two regional OTC stock markets in Shenzhen and Shanghai. In 2006, it added Beijing's Zhongguancun Science Park as a pilot zone.

Commenting on whether the new markets will leech⁵ capital from the main trading board and dampen investor⁶ enthusiasm, the official said the impact will be "very limited" due to the small scale of the funds raised.

He cited Zhongguancun Science Park as an example. In the past six years, 100 companies participating in the trial program raised 1.73 billion yuan (272.87 million U.S. dollars).

He said that the new OTC market will help relieve pressure on the two bourses in the Chinese mainland and stabilize⁷ market expectations.

1 equity   

n.公正，公平，（无固定利息的）股票

参考例句：

• They shared the work of the house with equity.他们公平地分担家务。
• To capture his equity,Murphy must either sell or refinance.要获得资产净值，墨菲必须出售或者重新融资。

2 high-tech   

adj.高科技的

参考例句：

• The economy is in the upswing which makes high-tech services in more demand too.经济在蓬勃发展，这就使对高科技服务的需求量也在加大。
• The quest of a cure for disease with high-tech has never ceased. 人们希望运用高科技治疗疾病的追求从未停止过。

3 specified   

adj.特定的

参考例句：

• The architect specified oak for the wood trim. 那位建筑师指定用橡木做木饰条。
• It is generated by some specified means. 这是由某些未加说明的方法产生的。

4 conducive   

adj.有益的，有助的

参考例句：

• This is a more conducive atmosphere for studying.这样的氛围更有利于学习。
• Exercise is conducive to good health.体育锻炼有助于增强体质。

5 leech   

n.水蛭，吸血鬼，榨取他人利益的人；vt.以水蛭吸血；vi.依附于别人

参考例句：

• A leech is a small blood-sucking worm and usually lives in water.水蛭是一种小型吸血虫，通常生活在水中。
• One-side love like a greedy leech absorbed my time and my mirth.单相思如同一只贪婪的水蛭，吸走了我的时间和欢笑。

6 investor   

n.投资者，投资人

参考例句：

• My nephew is a cautious investor.我侄子是个小心谨慎的投资者。
• The investor believes that his investment will pay off handsomely soon.这个投资者相信他的投资不久会有相当大的收益。

7 stabilize   

vt.（使）稳定，使稳固，使稳定平衡；vi.稳定

参考例句：

• They are eager to stabilize currencies.他们急于稳定货币。
• His blood pressure tended to stabilize.他的血压趋向稳定。