Chinese stocks fall after global rout

BBC NEWS: Chinese stocks have fallen again, a day after their worst plunge since 2007 caused market losses around the world.

The global sell-off was driven by fears that China’s slowing growth might pull down other economies.

The benchmark Shanghai Composite was down 4% at midday on Tuesday, after dropping 8.5% on what state media called “Black Monday” – overnight, stocks in Europe and the US also fell.

Other Asian markets opened lower on Tuesday, but recovered in later trade.

The Shanghai index opened 6.4% lower but recovered slightly to end the morning session of trade down 4.3% at 3,071.06 points.

The 3,000 point level is seen as psychologically important for investors – falling below that could trigger panic selling.

Investors globally are worried that firms and countries which rely on high demand from China – the world’s second largest economy and the second largest importer of both goods and commercial services – will be affected by its slowdown.

In recent months, the Chinese government has intervened in financial markets, in an attempt to try to maintain momentum in the economy.

But the central bank’s devaluation of the currency, the yuan, two weeks ago, raised fresh concerns globally the economy could be in worse shape than previously thought.

A cheaper currency lowers the price of China’s exports, making them more attractive to global firms.