China's anju scheme has been adopted throughout the country but what gives Tianjin an edge over other Chinese cities is the support it has from two of Hong Kong's property giants.
First it was New World Development; now Henderson China Holdings, in a bid to broaden its property portfolio in the country, has signed an agreement to develop 21.528 million square feet of anju housing.
Anju housing is a nationwide scheme to improve living conditions for the masses, especially those with a per capita living space of 43 sq ft or less.
Henderson China executive director Cheung Fong-ming said the company had been considering various projects, including those in Beijing.
Zhu Xueming , earlier stage department director of the Construction Development General Co of Tianjin Housing Programme, said although the anju scheme was officially launched by Beijing last year, Tianjin had begun reclaiming land for its own projects in 1994.
To date, Tianjin has drawn up plans to create four housing districts under the city's scheme.
