By Nov. 30, 2005, a total of 70.22 million A-share (Renminbi-denominated) accounts were registered in China's two stock exchanges, 44.7 million of which were empty, the Shanghai Securities News reported on Tuesday.

The figures were provided by the China Securities Depository and Clearing Corporation. The empty accounts account for 63.68 percent of the total number of all A-share accounts in China, the newspaper said.

By Nov. 30, 2005, a total of 35.88 million A-share accounts were registered in the Shanghai Stock Exchange, 21.8 million of which were empty, or had no shares.

By Nov. 30, 2005, a total of 34.34 million A-share accounts were registered in the Shenzhen Stock Exchange, 22.89 million of which were empty, according to figures from the China Securities Depository and Clearing Corporation.

According to a recent survey jointly conducted by China Securities Journal and Huading Investigation Company, 77 percent of stock investors lost money on Chinese stock markets this year.

The survey showed almost 90 percent of investors were cautious about future share investment, and 25 percent decided to withdraw funds from the stock markets. Only 1 percent planned to increase investment in China's stock markets, according to the survey.

At the beginning of this year, the composite index of Shanghai Stock Exchange was around 1,260 points, but the index dropped to 1,152.78 points on Monday.