Unified securities account platform launched

New regulation allows investors to trade on multiple bourses as well as through different broking firms

Investors in China can now trade securities through a single account at different brokerages and stock exchanges as the unified account platform - a mechanism designed to integrate different trading systems in the securities markets - was officially initiated on Wednesday.

Under the platform, Chinese investors can switch among different brokerages without opening new accounts and closing their existing ones. They can also use the platform to operate multiple sub-accounts for different types of securities and investment purposes, according to China Securities Depository and Clearing Corp Ltd, a State-owned clearing service company.