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China property
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Chinese insurer Hexie snaps up US$1.4 billion Beijing tower from SK Group in largest office deal since onset of coronavirus pandemic

  • Transaction could potentially become the largest deal for the year for a single commercial real estate project in China, Cushman says
  • Overall performance of Beijing investment market was stable in first quarter: Savills

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SK Tower is located in the heart of Beijing’s central business district, right next to Chang’an Avenue. Photo: Handout
Eric Ng
Beijing-based Hexie Health Insurance has bought the SK Tower in the Chinese capital for 9.06 billion yuan (US$1.4 billion) from SK Group, South Korea’s third-largest conglomerate.

The deal is the biggest transaction for an office building in China since the onset of the coronavirus pandemic, according to the buyer's adviser Cushman & Wakefield. It could potentially become the largest deal for the year for a single commercial real estate project in China, Cushman said on Tuesday, without mentioning the second-highest deal value.

“The Beijing market has long been a key focus for investors, where major transactions have exceeded 50 billion yuan [US$7.8 billion] annually for three years in a row,” said Alvin Yip, president of Cushman’s Greater China capital markets team.

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His team has brokered deals worth about 10 billion yuan in this year’s first half. These include the sale of Beijing Diamond Plaza in the Chinese capital’s technology hub Zhongguancun. The building was acquired by ACR Asset Management, which is backed by global investment manager GLP, from private-equity firm Sino-Ocean Capital mid last month for an undisclosed price.

The SK Tower transaction is particularly significant, given the 35-storey office building’s prime location in the heart of Beijing’s central business district, right next to the Chang’an Avenue thoroughfare.

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Previously known as Capital Tower, the building – with 107,627 square metres (1.2 million square feet) of building area – was sold by Singapore-based developer CapitaLand to SK Group in 2008. That deal was also advised by Cushman.

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