CHINA’S securities regulator instructed brokerages Sunday to review trades and enforce rules that require the use of real names and national identification numbers, the latest move by the government aimed at stabilizing stock prices following a devastating market rout the past month.

    Regulators have tightened controls on trading while partly blaming illegal behavior for the 30 percent drop that has wiped out trillions of dollars worth of market value in just three weeks.

    The latest warning by the China Securities Regulatory Commission (CSRC) is meant to clamp down on a trick whereby a single investor controls multiple accounts — often registered under other people’s identification numbers — to bid the price of a stock up or down.

    Regulators have recently unfurled a series of other measures, such as banning listed companies’ big shareholders from selling shares or limiting shorting activities in stocks and futures, while vowing to crack down on illegal trading activity with the help of police.

    An investigation personally led by Meng Qingfeng, vice minister of public security, found certain brokerages were suspected of manipulating futures prices and other “malicious” trading.

    Among the government’s other measures have been the arrangement of a curb on new share issues and the orchestration of brokerages and fund managers to promise to buy at least 120 billion yuan (US$19 billion) of stocks. (SD-Agencies)