BEIJING, Dec. 6 (Xinhua) -- Two years after its launch, the Shenzhen-Hong Kong stock connect program has become an important platform for global investors to access China's A-share market.

As of Dec. 5, the program's two-year anniversary, the total turnover through the stock connect reached 4.15 trillion yuan (about 605 billion U.S. dollars), data from the Shenzhen Stock Exchange showed.

Net purchases through northbound trading, or money invested from Hong Kong into the Chinese mainland, reached 266.84 billion yuan, while net purchases through southbound trading totaled 156.54 billion yuan, resulting in net capital inflows into the Chinese mainland of 110.3 billion yuan, the data showed.

Northbound trading has been particularly active since global index provider MSCI included some Chinese A-shares in its widely tracked indices on May 31.

Global investors have been increasingly bullish on stocks listed in Shenzhen, particularly small-cap growth stocks, the data showed.

China has been stepping up efforts opening its financial sector wider to the world, with stock and bond connect programs allowing global investors to access its growing capital market.