China’s entire equity market was shuttered within half an hour of opening after falling 7 per cent on further currency weakness as government rescue efforts failed to deter the tide of sellers. China’s stock market meltdown and currency depreciation have spooked international investors in a replay of last summer’s rout that reverberated around the globe. So far this year — just four days — the blue-chip CSI 300 index is down 12 percent. Newly minted circuit breakers, introduced and first tripped on Monday, kicked in again on Thursday after the CSI 300 fell 7 per cent. Trading was halted for 15 minutes after the index lost 5 per cent, but as stocks continued to fall the full-day closure was triggered. Investors were rattled by further weakening of the renminbi, said Wang Jun, analyst at China Securities Co in Beijing. “It was a panicked response to the forex market,” he said. “Accelerating exchange-rate depreciation could lead to liquidity problems. Valuations can’t help but take a pounding.”