The Wall Street Journal's MarketBeat column quotes portfolio manager Axel Merk's assessment that China's market volatility may spread.

"Still, that the Chinese equity market is a bubble is unquestioned and it is going to pop eventually, and that could cause investors to once again familiarize themselves with risk. 'The Chinese stock market has become a risk appetite barometer,' says Axel Merk, manager of the Merk Hard Currency Fund. 'While Chinas markets do not influence the fundamentals of markets overseas, any uptick in volatility may easily cause volatility and with it asset re-pricing everywhere.' "