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China property

China property
China’s property market has surged in recent years. After prices jumped 25 per cent in 2009 alone, the central government imposed austerity measures, including lending curbs, higher mortgage rates and restrictions on the number of homes each family can buy.
Hong Kong developer Hang Lung is pinning its hopes on an uptick in mainland consumption. Photo: AFP
Hong Kong property

Hang Lung flags ‘tough slog’ for property, looks to mainland malls for growth

Hong Kong developer says property segment recovery will be slow, but sees mainland retail and consumption offering the clearest upside.

China GDP

Historic shift? Why Guangdong could lose its status as China’s No 1 economy

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China economy

Video | Scuffles break out at Ikea clearance sale in China

China GDP

Tale of 2 megacities: how did Beijing, Shanghai GDPs surpass 5 trillion yuan?

China’s two largest cities are outpacing national growth rates, each generating gross domestic products equal to a small European country.

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People hang out at The Bund as the financial district of Pudong is seen in the background in Shanghai, China. The GDPs of Beijing and Shanghai have now exceeded 5 trillion yuan and both cities are comparable to European countries Sweden and Belgium. Photo: Reuters
China's economic recovery

China’s manufacturing powerhouse cuts 2026 GDP growth target after missing mark

Guangdong province, an industrial behemoth hit by property and global headwinds, shifts focus in a strategic pivot amid national reforms.

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Shanghai

Swire Properties bullish on mainland retail despite slowing market

Foot traffic and sales have been rising across Swire’s mainland portfolio, lifted by Gen Z shoppers, holiday spending and policy support.

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China GDP

China’s divided economy

China is likely to set its economic growth target in a range of 4.5 to 5 per cent after meeting its 2025 goal of “around 5 per cent” thanks to domestic subsidies and strong exports.

China’s divided economy
China economy

Opinion | China’s focus is on stability as the US rocks the global boat

While Beijing has achieved its major economic goals for 2025, this year policymakers might be forced to focus on external crises and US foreign policy.

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China GDP

China’s two-speed economy faces tough 2026 as growth cools

Lost momentum, weak domestic demand and high yardsticks point to a challenging year ahead for the Chinese economy.

Property policies

Mainland China’s home prices extend slide, deepening property downturn

New home prices fall again in December, with declines across most cities, as second-hand values plunge year on year.

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People skate on a frozen lake at Chaoyang Park in Beijing, with residential buildings in the background. Photo: AP
China GDP

China hits 2025 GDP target – but quarterly growth drops to 3-year low

China logs 5 per cent GDP growth in 2025, 4.5 per cent in fourth quarter as Beijing acknowledges ‘long-standing issues and new challenges’.

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China recorded a record trade surplus last year despite facing US tariffs, helping the country hit its annual growth target of “about 5 per cent”. Photo: Xinhua
Hong Kong property

Exclusive | Chow Tai Fook’s Henry Cheng reveals Hong Kong empire’s investment philosophy

In a rare media interaction, the chairman of New World Development’s parent company talks about his family’s unusual investment playbook.

Shanghai

Hotel conversions gain traction in China’s office market amid high vacancies

In Hangzhou, one office building now houses around 10 hotels, alongside restaurants, photography studios and second-hand luxury stores.

China economy

Opinion | China’s economy is struggling – even as its hi-tech sector booms

China’s pivot to a tech-driven economy is thrilling, but its success will be judged by how it improves people’s everyday lives.

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The Shenzhen Talent Park in the city’s Nanshan district. Nanshan is poised to join Shanghai’s Pudong and Beijing’s Haidian as the only districts in the country with a GDP of more than 1 trillion yuan (US$143 billion). Photo: Getty Images
China’s crackdowns

China targets wealthy influencers with audits, fines as fiscal pressures rise

Big data is used to flag income gaps for top online stars and overseas earners, as regulators recover billions in unpaid levies amid slumping land sales and value-added tax revenue decline.

China is cracking down on live-streamers who are not paying their fair share of taxes. Photo: Shutterstock
China consumption

Why mortgage subsidies could be key to getting China’s consumers spending

Beijing is striving to boost household spending amid an economic slowdown. But first it needs to stabilise the housing market, scholars say.

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China economy

Opinion | China’s new property pivot is coming. Expect full stabilisation ahead

As property curbs to boost spending hit practical limits, a push to stabilise assets is now being seen as a prerequisite for consumer confidence.

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Shanghai

Expect no ‘systemic shock’ from Vanke’s ‘technical default’: HSBC

Even an ‘aggressive’ haircut would pose limited downside risks to key developers, bank says.

A security guard stands near a development by Vanke in Beijing on December 23, 2025. Photo: Reuters
China exports

Why overseas residency is a ‘practical advantage’ for Chinese firms going global

Local residency is becoming an essential asset for China’s business owners as they go abroad, granting benefits and networking opportunities.

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Retailing

Foreign, Hong Kong retailers shut mainland China stores amid fierce competition

High-profile store closures included those of Lane Crawford, Ikea, Triumph, Zara Home and Zara.

Hong Kong

China Vanke offshore creditors face near wipeout in Barclays worst-case scenario

British bank warns recoveries could fall below 1 per cent as restructuring priorities and access to assets remain uncertain.

In a base-case scenario, China Vanke bondholders may recover 10.1 per cent of what they are owed, according to Barclays. Photo: Reuters
Retailing

Furniture retailer Ikea to close 7 stores in China amid property market slump

The firm plans to open more than 10 small-format outlets in key cities over a two-year period.

Ikea’s new strategy underscored the retailer’s sharpened focus on the furniture-replacement segment of the market, as new-home furnishing demand had declined. Photo: Shutterstock
Mainland China

China’s developers diminish further amid unending property downturn

Only 10 developers manage to break US$14 billion in 2025 sales, down from 43 in 2020.

Asia housing and property

The View | Will Hong Kong, mainland property see a recovery in 2026? Don’t bet on it

Tech-led resilience is not a cure for all the ills driving the underperformance of mainland Chinese and Hong Kong real estate.

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China economy

Property industry an enemy within for Beijing’s economic targets

Ripple effect from further downturn would threaten economic growth and put more developers, workers and even banks at risk, analysts warn.

A man walks in front of residential buildings in Beijing on December 15, 2025. Photo: EPA
Banking & finance

China’s wealthy swap real estate for insurance, gold as retirement looms

Declining returns on property are prompting China’s affluent to diversify their investments, including high-value insurance policies and gold.

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According to the National Bureau of Statistics, China’s new home prices in 70 cities fell by 2.2 percent year-on-year in September 2025, easing from a 2.5 percent decline in the previous month. Photo: EPA
China's economic recovery

No ‘piecemeal’ steps: Chinese journal urges more support for property sector

Top Communist Party journal calls on officials to roll out a stronger policy package in one go, rather than following ‘piecemeal-style’ approach.

China’s private sector

Small restaurants in China starve as consumers suppress spending appetite

Per-capita spending per meal has dropped nearly 24 per cent since 2023, data provider says, as property slump sows uncertainty.

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