Kwong Ki-chi (back), chief executive of the Hong Kong stock exchange, sits
behind Frederick Ma, secretary for financial service and the treasury,
during a Legislative Council panel in Hong Kong July 31, 2002. Kwong
apologised on Wednesday for losses suffered by investors in a sharp sell-off
of "penny" stocks last Friday. The delisting of "penny" stocks is the most
controversial item of a list of proposals put forward by the exchange to
improve the quality of Hong Kong-listed companies and attract more investors
to the bourse, which has been one of the worst performers in Asia this year.
REUTERS/Bobby Yip

BY/CP