Investor shakes off bear market blues

BEIJING - The experience of investing in the stock market last year was depressing for Wei Xinrong, a 52-year-old restaurant co-owner who is taking a wait-and-see attitude this year.

China's stock market, which dropped more than 21 percent last year, sucked more than 300,000 yuan ($48,000) out of Wei's account by the last trading day. In the first month of last year, Wei had 1 million yuan invested in five companies.

The Shanghai Composite Index, which tracks China's biggest stock exchanges, closed at 2852.65 on Jan 1 last year. It reached a high for the year of 3067.46 on April 18, then slipped to a three-year low of 2132.63 on Jan 6 this year.