Chinese financial officials have started a global roadshow topersuade foreigners to invest in the country’s stock market, ahighly unusual move that reflects concerns that investors areturning their backs on China as its economy slows.

中國金融官員展開了一場全球“路演”，勸說外國投資者投資中國股市，這一非同尋常的做法反映出有關(guān)方面對投資者隨著中國經(jīng)濟放緩而紛紛撤離的擔(dān)憂。

Officials from the Shanghai and Shenzhen stock exchanges are touring Europe, the US and Japanto meet institutional investors, according to three people briefed on the program.

三位消息人士指出，上交所和深交所的官員們正在歐洲、美國、日本訪問，會晤機構(gòu)投資者。

The attempt to drum up interest in China’s markets is a remarkable U-turn from just a couple ofyears ago when Beijing restricted overseas investors under a strict quota system, worried theywould swamp China with cash.

這一鼓動人們對中國市場感興趣的努力是一個巨大的轉(zhuǎn)變，就在兩年前，中國政府還通過嚴格的配額體系來限制海外投資者，擔(dān)憂外資洪流沖擊中國。

Foreign institutions were allowed to invest a combined total of no more than $30bn in China’scapital markets until April this year when the limit was lifted to $80bn. The securities regulatorhoped the higher ceiling would lead to a big jump in applications from investors, but it has beensurprised by the relative quiet, according to a government adviser.

在今年4月份之前，外國機構(gòu)在中國的投資最多不能超過300億美元，4月份這一限制被提高到了800億美元。一位政府顧問表示，證券監(jiān)管機構(gòu)本來預(yù)計，較高的上限會帶來大量的投資申請，但相對冷清的狀況令其吃驚。

“They think it is mainly because of the global economic slowdown, but they also think that China’sown growth prospects are having an impact,” he said. Even before the economy’s currentslowdown, Chinese shares had been among the world’s worst investments.

他說：“他們認為這主要是因為全球經(jīng)濟放緩，但認為中國自身的增長前景也有影響。”即使是在中國經(jīng)濟此輪放緩之前，中國股票也是世界最糟糕的投資之一。

The Shanghai Composite Index, the country’s main stock index, dropped 14 per cent in 2010 and 23 per cent in 2011. It has retreated a further 6 per cent this year.

2010年，中國主要股指上證綜指下跌14%，2011年跌幅為23%，今年迄今進一步下跌6%。

Foreign investors and analysts say that a big part of the problem is that China’s stock marketoperates like a rigged casino, with rampant insider trading and weak corporate governance. GuoShuqing, who was appointed China’s chief securities regulator late last year, has set out to reformthe country’s markets.

外國投資者和分析師表示，主要的問題是，中國股市就像一個受到操縱的賭場，內(nèi)幕交易猖獗，公司治理不力。去年被任命為中國證監(jiān)會主席的郭樹清已著手對中國股市進行改革。