Singapore has pioneered how public housing, or Housing and Development Board (HDB) flats, can benefit locals without creating a financial burden. The system is credited with clearing Singapore's slums of the 1960s, allowing low-paid workers a chance to live in state-built housing for a fraction of the cost. Today, Singapore's HDB flats house around 82 per cent of Singaporeans and are considered a model for modern government.

Australia relies heavily on Chinese spending to boost its economy. It was one of the few developed countries not to go into recession during the global financial crisis, thanks to the demand from China for its resources.

This year has been a turbulent one for investors and there will be plenty of headwinds moving into 2015, experts say. China, hailed as the engine of the world, is heading for its slowest growth in 25 years.