Circuit-breaker to bolster bourses

Mainland bourses are contemplating the introduction of a circuit-breaker mechanism to arrest abnormal price swings on capital markets, even as government reassurances did little to check the slide in equities on Monday.

Under the plan, which has been circulated for public opinion, stocks and financial futures exchanges will use circuit-breakers to halt trading in the event of "abnormal" fluctuations.

Circuit-breakers will be triggered off if the market fluctuates 5 percent and 7 percent, according to the plan released by the Shanghai Stock Exchange, Shenzhen Stock Exchange and China Financial Futures Exchange.