THE Shanghai Securities Exchange is advancing with ambitious plans to link up with 15 domestic trading centres in the first part of the year, as well as plugging into Shenzhen and Hong Kong.
The plan is based on a high-technology satellite and fibre-optic link and is expected to give a major boost to turnover in stocks quoted on the exchange.
The president of the Shanghai exchange, Wei Wenyuan, said the high-technology link-up was one of the major efforts being mounted by the exchange this year.
The fibre-optic network, which would connect dealing centres in China with the Shanghai ''mother'' exchange, was already in place, he said, adding that the major work on planning the installation had been undertaken by the exchange itself.
When on-line the new network will mean that dealers in China will be able to deal directly with Shanghai on behalf of local clients.
Already four cities have been wired up - Fuzhou, Guangzhou, Shenyang and Chengdu. Within a month a further three will be open for business - Haikou, Qingdao and Changsha.