(Yicai Global) Sept. 3 -- Global equity benchmark provider FTSE Russell will add five firms to its flagship stock index for China's mainland, including vaccine maker Zhifei Biological Products and leading photovoltaics firm Longi Green Energy Technology, as well as three to its Hong Kong index.

The London-based financial group yesterday announced that it will include five stocks in the FTSE China A50 Index and three in the FTSE China 50 Index. The changes will take place by the start of Sept. 21. 

Many international investors regard the FTSE China A50 Index, which includes about a third of all mainland-listed businesses, as an accurate indicator of the broader Chinese market.

The FTSE China A50 Index will be enriched by Zhifei Biological Products, East Money Information, Longi Green Energy, Offcn Education Technology and Wanhua Chemical Group. Meanwhile, five others will be removed. They are ZTE, China Railway Construction, Guotai Junan Securities, Wens Foodstuff Group, Will Semiconductor. 

In the FTSE China 50 Index, electric carmaker BYD, Semiconductor Manufacturing International, and Wuxi Biologics will be included. China Gas Holdings, CRCC, and PICC Property & Casualty will be taken out. 

The data provider picked five firms to join its mainland watchlist with possible additions based on the next review in December. Those are BYD, meat processor WH Group, commercial lender Bank of Ningbo, distiller Luzhou Laojiao and display maker BOE Technology Group, FTSE Russell told Yicai Global.

The two benchmarks consist of the markets' 50 biggest firms so quarterly adjustments reflect on changes in these companies' market caps, as well as liquidity issues and trading suspensions, according to an insider at FTSE Russell.

FTSE Russell is also very likely to add Chinese government debt to its World Government Bond Index, which could lift foreign holdings of the sovereign debt by 6 to 7 percentage points, industry insiders told Yicai Global recently. The results of that annual assessment will be released on Sept. 24. 

Editor: Emmi Laine