A woman holding an umbrella walks past a billboard for Southern Securities in Shanghai, China. The Shenzhen based securities firm, the nation's fifth largest with over Euro 330 million (420 million US) in stock shares, has been taken over by government regulators under suspicions of illegal practices. The Chinese government had for years been trying to rein in its unruly stock markets and boost investor confidence in the transparency of their business practice..05-JAN-04
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