China plans for shorting stocks

China plans to introduce a new platform to make it easier for investors to short-sell locally traded equities, helping to bring its markets more into line with international standards and spur the develop of the hedge fund industry, according to a report Thursday.

Beijing plans to launch a body called the Centralized Securities Lending Exchange before the end of March that will act as a platform for short-selling activity, the Financial Times reported, citing securities officials and fund managers whom it did not identify.

China's market regulator, the China Securities Regulatory Commission, will be the largest shareholder in the new exchange, the report said