-
TOPIC

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.
This handout picture, provided by the Iranian Defence Ministry on March 12, 2024, shows Iranian forces piloting a speedboat near a Chinese naval ship during the “Maritime Security Belt 2024” joint exercise carried out by Tehran, Moscow and Beijing in the Gulf of Oman. Photo: AFP
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.

videocam
China GDP

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

Property policies

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

4
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’.

28
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.

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
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.

videocam
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 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.

videocam
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.

videocam
4
Home buyers shop at a pre-sale property in Yangxin county, Binzhou city, in eastern China’s Shandong province, on February 23. Photo: CFOTO/Future Publishing via Getty Images
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.

videocam
4
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.

videocam
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
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.

videocam
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.

7
A costumed man promotes restaurant specials in Beijing on December 2, 2025. Photo: AFP
China economy

China housing market gets VAT relief on resales but demand outlook stays subdued

Policy lowering VAT to 3 per cent reduces seller costs but demand recovery is key to stabilising the housing sector, property agents say.

Individuals selling homes within two years of purchase will be subject to a VAT rate of 3 per cent, down from 5 per cent, from January 1. Photo: Getty Images
Mainland China

Beijing trims property resale tax in fresh push to stabilise housing market

Under new rules, sellers will pay just 3 per cent VAT if they offload a property within two years of purchase, down from 5 per cent.

Greater Bay Area

Greater Bay Area assets poised to lead surge in China’s expanding C-REIT market

By the end of last month, China had nearly 80 C-REITs, raising a total of over US$28.3 billion, according to Cushman & Wakefield.

Mainland China

Beijing municipality eases home purchase curbs to shore up sluggish market

China’s property sector, once a pillar of economic growth, has been on a downward trajectory since the second half of 2021.

A cyclist rides past a residential construction site in Beijing on November 13, 2025. Photo: Getty Images
Mainland China

China Jinmao sells 5-star Ritz-Carlton hotel in Sanya for US$322 million

Asset restructuring aims to boost liquidity as mainland China developers face a prolonged property downturn.

Ritz-Carlton Sanya Yalong Bay has demonstrated mature and stable operations with favourable profitability and cash flow, says China Jinmao. Photo: Keith Chan
Greater Bay Area

Hong Kong property prices stabilise as mainland China slump drags on

Hong Kong is drawing cautious interest from buyers, while markets such as Shenzhen remain weighed down by persistent price declines.

China consumption

China vows city-specific fixes to clear housing glut, stabilise property sector

Housing minister pledges to empower local governments to buy unsold inventory and shift towards selling only finished homes with a ‘what you see is what you get’ model.

videocam
17
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Help preserve 120 years of quality journalism.
SUPPORT NOW
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement