What listing means in the land sale system
A requirement that all government sites must be sold by way of public auction, tender and listing was introduced by the mainland government in 2004.
But while tenders and auctions are similar to the practice in the western world, what does listing mean in the mainland's land sale system?
Ashley Howlett, head of the Greater China construction practice of international law firm Jones Day in Beijing, said 'listing' on the mainland referred to the listing of land use rights on the appropriate land use rights exchange centres such as the Beijing Land Transaction Centre. At these exchanges the government will release quotations as well as the general terms and conditions for granting such land use rights.
Purchasers may then bid for the listed land use right.
In this respect, listing was similar to tendering and bidding methods, he said, the major difference being that listing was conducted through certain exchange centres and the quotations were open to the public.
Land use rights for the purposes of military uses, public schools, hospitals or other public infrastructure or facilities, might be allocated (rather than granted) by the government without tendering, auction or listing, he added.
