The president of MSCI has admitted that the ability of Chinese companies to suspend trading in their shares is a “visceral” concern for investors, whose exposure to China’s equity market expanded this month after the index provider added more than 200 stocks to its flagship emerging markets index.

MSCI, which together with S&P Dow Jones Indices, FTSE Russell and Bloomberg, dominates the indexing industry, last week included about 230 A-shares, or those listed in Shanghai or Shenzhen, in its Emerging Markets index. That move reversed previous decisions to exclude them because of concerns over market access and corporate governance.

Chief among the worries of international fund managers is the ability of companies listed on the mainland to suspend trading in their shares, which could prevent investors withdrawing their money. The practice reached a peak during the Chinese stock market crash of 2015, after more than 1,400 companies — half the A-share market — suspended their shares.