Stock plunge triggers another trading halt

Regulator suspends circuit breaker mechanism unveils rules to limit selling by big shareholders

The Chinese stock market suffered the second dramatic fall within a week on Thursday, placing regulators in a difficult position as analysts warned that any government intervention to contain the market meltdown could run the risk of backfiring.

As the nascent circuit breaker, designed to stem volatility in stock markets by halting trade when the market plunges, has "more negative effects than positive", the China Securities Regulatory Commission decided on Thursday night to suspend it.