China’s Twitter-like microblog platform Sina Weibo has blocked searches of “stock market” and “stock market crash,” in an apparent attempt by the authorities to stem investor anxiety in bearish times.

Internet users of Sina Weibo saw the message that “no related results can be found” after they keyed in those Chinese words, suggesting the phrases had been censored.

As well, a search for “global stock market crash” threw up only results that focused on slumps in bourses of the United States.

By comparison, search keywords about “stock market rise” and “A-shares” would still give users the relevant results.

The censors were found to be screening information related to stock markets as a bearish mood had been prevailing in Chinese bourses lately. In the past 14 trading days, China’s benchmark CSI 100 Index had plunged 14% from a 13-year high.

Some mainland financial institutions have issued open letters to individual investors, urging them to stay calm.

Alibaba’s Alipay suggested that investors refrain from selling off now and wait for a recovery with patience. It also said that one way of tackling market fluctuations was to buy new funds.

Tianhong Asset Management told investors to “make friends with time” because the future belonged to those with optimism and good sense.

Censorship of sensitive vocabulary on Chinese cyberspace is not uncommon. In a recent case, Sina Weibo blocked all search results for a Chinese character used by netizens as a euphemism for the death of Chinese President Xi Jinping.

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