Entering China

CHINA has for the first time cleared foreign brokerage houses to deal on the Shanghai securities exchange, and three British firms are likely to be the first in. Jardine Fleming, Standard Chartered and Baring Brothers will be allowed to deal in B shares - stocks aimed at foreign investors and settled in hard currency. 'The three foreign companies are expected to start business in the exchange within the month,' the official Xinhua news agency quoted a spokesman as saying.