Editorial Summary

The Shanghai Composite Index decreased 2.09 percent to close at 3,222.74 on April 17, while the Shenzhen Composite Index fell 3.24 percent to close at 971.66. Trading volume on the Shanghai and Shenzhen Stock Exchanges reached RMB 62.51 billion and RMB 27.70 billion, respectively.

Shares of Bank of Communications (601328.SH) and Mingsheng Bank (600016.SH) decreased 3.56 percent and 6.43 percent on April 17, respectively.
Shares of Ping An Insurance (601318.SH, 2318.HK) increased 3.63 percent while China Life Insurance (China Life) (601628.SH; 2628.HK; NYSE: LFC) shares were up 0.04 percent, respectively.

Ping An Insurance signed an agreement with Beijing-based Ciming Health Checkup Group on April 16 to acquire an approximately 15 percent stake in Ciming for RMB 100 million, reports 21cbh.com. CDH Investments holds another 34 percent of Ciming, according to the report. Ciming Health Checkup has over 30 locations and subsidiaries in Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou and Tianjin.

A China Securities Regulatory Commission (CSRC) spokesman on April 15 denied that Hong Kong-listed "red chips"will temporarily stop the process of listing on the domestic A-shares market, reports National Business Daily. The report said that the red chips, mainland China-based companies that are incorporated outside of Mainland China and listed on the Hong Kong Exchange, will begin listing on domestic markets in mid-2008 at the earliest. Earlier in the week, there were Hong Kong media reports quoting a Shanghai Exchange employee saying that China Mobile (NYSE: CHL, 941.HK), Lenovo (0992.HK) and China Netcom (NYSE: CN, 906.HK) are unlikely to issue A-shares offerings this year.