China markets regulator promises to protect small investors as stocks hit 5 year lows

China's stock market regulators have renewed their effort to reassure jittery investors by promising to crack down on stock price manipulation and “malicious short selling.” Share prices still sank on Monday, despite signs authorities may have sought to intervene with heavy buying of big cap shares like state-owned banks. Markets in China have been trading near five-year lows on heavy selling of property shares that have suffered with a slump in the real estate market. Shares in Shanghai and the smaller market in Shenzhen, near Hong Kong, swung between big losses and small gains throughout the day.