https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/rss/318785/feed en https://assets-v2.i-scmp.com/production/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg Daniel Ren Daniel Ren Property brokers in China’s major cities are expecting busier days as would-be homebuyers take a cue from a recent policy shift by Beijing aimed at reviving the slumbering real estate market. Some say they are being swamped by inquiries and are trying to seal as many deals as possible amid a recovery in confidence, while others are keeping their fingers crossed for more government stimulus to sustain the growing momentum. “Government support always holds the key to the performance of the home... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/business/china-business/article/3368009/will-fresh-incentives-give-chinas-housing-market-more-short-lived-rebound?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/business/china-business/article/3368009/will-fresh-incentives-give-chinas-housing-market-more-short-lived-rebound?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 20 Sep 2026 03:00:09 +0000 Brian Rhoads,Raymond Ma Brian Rhoads,Raymond Ma China’s retail sales growth unexpectedly slumped in August, while industrial output accelerated more than anticipated, as the economy increasingly divides between a domestic slowdown and an export boom. August retail sales only rose 0.4 per cent, missing the 0.7 per cent forecast among economists polled by Chinese financial data provider Wind and slowing from 0.6 per cent in July. By contrast, industrial output jumped 5.2 per cent, beating the 4.7 per cent expectation and July’s 4.5 per cent... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/plus/economy/china-economy/article/3367587/chinas-worsening-retail-slowdown-bolsters-case-stimulus?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/plus/economy/china-economy/article/3367587/chinas-worsening-retail-slowdown-bolsters-case-stimulus?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 15 Sep 2026 09:00:17 +0000 Brian Rhoads,Raymond Ma Brian Rhoads,Raymond Ma Chinese real estate stocks tumbled after regulators tightened restrictions on the presale of incomplete properties, upending developers’ traditional financing model. State-backed builders led the sell-off, with China Resources Land and China Overseas Land both slumping more than 9 per cent in Hong Kong trading. There were double-digit declines for smaller rivals China Jinmao, Greentown China and Yuexiu Property. Developers will have to find new sources of funding for construction projects as... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/plus/economy/china-economy/article/3365842/china-property-stocks-plunge-regulators-tighten-financing?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/plus/economy/china-economy/article/3365842/china-property-stocks-plunge-regulators-tighten-financing?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 31 Aug 2026 09:20:35 +0000 Huizhao Huang,Xinyi Wu,Xiaofei Xu Huizhao Huang,Xinyi Wu,Xiaofei Xu Beijing has unveiled a package of measures to shift home sales in China’s vast property market away from a presales model, in a stronger-than-expected push to stabilise a property downturn that has weighed on consumer demand for years. A notice released on Friday laid out reforms to China’s home sales system, telling local governments to prioritise completed-home sales. It was jointly issued by the Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development, the Ministry of Natural Resources and the... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/economy/china-economy/article/3365649/china-moves-stabilise-property-sector-stronger-expected-package?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/economy/china-economy/article/3365649/china-moves-stabilise-property-sector-stronger-expected-package?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 28 Aug 2026 13:42:24 +0000 Emma Ma Emma Ma Shanghai has announced further cuts to minimum down‑payment requirements for homebuyers, joining Beijing to become the latest top-tier Chinese city to ease curbs in the hopes of engineering a broad recovery for the country’s struggling property market. The minimum down payment for buying a second home was reduced from 20 to 15 per cent, bringing it in line with the threshold for first-time homebuyers, the local government announced on Thursday. Encouraging a recovery in new-home sales is part of... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/economy/china-economy/article/3364692/shanghai-lowers-second-home-down-payments-will-it-boost-property-market?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/economy/china-economy/article/3364692/shanghai-lowers-second-home-down-payments-will-it-boost-property-market?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 20 Aug 2026 09:27:23 +0000 Daniel Ren Daniel Ren Sales of luxury homes in mainland China’s top cities are picking up as high-net-worth individuals, benefiting from the country’s tech boom, splash out billions of yuan to improve their housing. The buying binge has sparked expectations of a broad market recovery after a six-year property slump across the country, according to brokers. But analysts said such homes represented just a small portion of the mainland’s property industry, with increasing sales and higher prices not enough to turn the... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/business/china-business/article/3364087/luxury-home-sales-rebound-mainland-china-overall-market-recovery-unlikely-analysts?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/business/china-business/article/3364087/luxury-home-sales-rebound-mainland-china-overall-market-recovery-unlikely-analysts?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 16 Aug 2026 01:00:11 +0000 Daniel Ren Daniel Ren Major Chinese cities including Shanghai are witnessing a significant uptick in commercial property transactions, as investors snap up space in prime locations in the expectation that the market may finally be on the road to recovery. The value of office buildings, hotels and shopping malls across China has slumped in recent years amid a prolonged real estate crisis. But with prices in some cities now starting to stabilise, investors are hunting for potential bargains, according to analysts. The... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/business/china-business/article/3362546/china-sees-flurry-commercial-property-deals-investors-sniff-out-bargains?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/business/china-business/article/3362546/china-sees-flurry-commercial-property-deals-investors-sniff-out-bargains?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 02 Aug 2026 08:00:09 +0000 Junjie Wang Junjie Wang China released its 15th five-year plan for expanding consumption on July 14, setting out the country’s priorities for strengthening domestic demand between now and 2030. It targets retail sales of around 60 trillion yuan (US$8.9 billion) by that year, and sets goals to increase the consumption of services and digital products, strengthen household spending power and improve the overall consumer environment. Key points are summarised below. 1. General strategy Make expanding domestic demand a... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/plus/economy/china-economy/article/3361966/chinas-15th-five-year-plan-consumption?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/plus/economy/china-economy/article/3361966/chinas-15th-five-year-plan-consumption?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 28 Jul 2026 02:44:05 +0000 Zhu Wenqian Zhu Wenqian New home prices in four Chinese first-tier cities rose by an average of 0.1 per cent last month, extending a four-month rebound and signalling a gradual recovery in market sentiment as housing stabilisation measures gain traction. Compared with May, home prices edged up 0.3 per cent in Shanghai and Shenzhen and by 0.2 per cent in Guangzhou, according to data released by the National Bureau of Statistics on Wednesday. However, they fell 0.3 per cent in Beijing. Among 70 large and medium-sized... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/business/article/3360599/chinas-first-tier-home-prices-extend-four-month-rebound-amid-market-stabilisation?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/business/article/3360599/chinas-first-tier-home-prices-extend-four-month-rebound-amid-market-stabilisation?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 15 Jul 2026 03:15:44 +0000 Themis Qi Themis Qi China’s millionaire population and personal wealth levels are estimated to have grown much more slowly than the global average last year, partly owing to the sluggish property market, though wealth creation in the world’s second-largest economy is expected to continue, according to UBS, the world’s largest wealth manager. Mainland China saw a net addition of 14,079 individuals with US$1 million or more in assets in 2025, inching up by 0.3 per cent to a total of 5.3 million, according to... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/business/money/wealth/article/3358924/chinas-millionaire-population-grows-slower-global-average-wealth-boom-over?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/business/money/wealth/article/3358924/chinas-millionaire-population-grows-slower-global-average-wealth-boom-over?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 30 Jun 2026 13:00:09 +0000 Daniel Ren Daniel Ren Expectations have heightened in major Chinese cities like Shanghai that home prices are bottoming out following a six-year property slump, as would-be buyers actively hunt bargains amid the recent policy easing. Brisk transactions are also shoring up brokers’ confidence in the market where the prices of some lived-in flats have almost halved from their peak. “Most of the buyers are not betting on a turnaround, they just feel that home prices are more attractive now as the authorities could... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/business/banking-finance/article/3357835/buyers-hunt-bargains-amid-signs-chinas-home-prices-are-bottoming-out?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/business/banking-finance/article/3357835/buyers-hunt-bargains-amid-signs-chinas-home-prices-are-bottoming-out?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 21 Jun 2026 23:00:20 +0000 Zhu Wenqian Zhu Wenqian Several luxury residential projects in Shenzhen sold out quickly in May, with young elites from the semiconductor and artificial intelligence sectors replacing traditional tycoons as the most avid buyers. Post-90s buyers, mainly technology professionals, accounted for 31 per cent of transactions for luxury homes over 10 million yuan (US$1.48 million) in the southern tech hub last year, according to Leyoujia, a research institute in Shenzhen. Members of the same generation – named for the decade... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/business/article/3357247/young-tech-elites-drive-rise-shenzhen-luxury-home-sales-after-purchase-curbs-ease?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/business/article/3357247/young-tech-elites-drive-rise-shenzhen-luxury-home-sales-after-purchase-curbs-ease?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 16 Jun 2026 07:00:06 +0000 Zhu Wenqian Zhu Wenqian New home prices in China’s first-tier cities rose 0.2 per cent in May, extending a three-month rebound after nine months of losses and a flat February, pointing to a gradual recovery in confidence as stabilisation measures take hold, analysts have said. Compared with the previous month, May home prices edged up 0.2 per cent in Shanghai and Guangzhou, gained 0.4 per cent in Shenzhen, and slipped 0.2 per cent in Beijing, according to data from the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) released on... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/business/article/3357258/chinas-first-tier-new-home-prices-rise-third-month-stabilising-steps-gain-traction?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/business/article/3357258/chinas-first-tier-new-home-prices-rise-third-month-stabilising-steps-gain-traction?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 16 Jun 2026 05:50:26 +0000 Zhu Wenqian Zhu Wenqian China’s home prices saw a modest recovery in May, adding to growth in March and April, as positive signs of a gradually stabilising property market continued to accumulate after five years of weakness, according to analysts. In May, the average price of newly built residential properties across 100 Chinese cities stood at 17,156 yuan (US$2,534) per square metre, edging up 0.16 per cent from a month earlier and 2.03 per cent year on year, data from the China Index Academy showed on Monday. The... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/business/article/3355548/chinas-property-market-shows-more-positive-signs-price-sales-upticks?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/business/article/3355548/chinas-property-market-shows-more-positive-signs-price-sales-upticks?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 01 Jun 2026 08:30:20 +0000 Mia Nurmamat Mia Nurmamat Property tycoon Pan Shiyi issued a rare critique of China’s real estate sector, describing its development model as a “Ponzi scheme” and urging the industry to restore integrity and better protect homebuyers, just days after a fraud trial saw a guilty plea from the founder of China Evergrande – the US$300 billion debt juggernaut whose 2021 collapse triggered a systemic property meltdown. Writing from the United States on Thursday via his personal WeChat account, Pan reflected on the trajectory... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/economy/china-economy/article/3350448/tycoon-pan-shiyi-slams-china-property-ponzi-evergrande-boss-pleads-guilty?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/economy/china-economy/article/3350448/tycoon-pan-shiyi-slams-china-property-ponzi-evergrande-boss-pleads-guilty?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 17 Apr 2026 09:00:22 +0000 Zhu Wenqian Zhu Wenqian Mainland China’s first-tier home prices edged up 0.2 per cent in March, rising after nine months of losses and no change in February, but it is too soon to declare the property market stable without sustained improvement in homebuying demand, according to analysts. Compared with a month earlier, March home prices were flat in Beijing, rose 0.3 per cent in Shanghai and Guangzhou, and gained 0.2 per cent in Shenzhen, according to data released by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) on... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/business/article/3350276/new-home-prices-chinas-biggest-cities-record-first-rise-10-months?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/business/article/3350276/new-home-prices-chinas-biggest-cities-record-first-rise-10-months?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 16 Apr 2026 07:00:20 +0000 David Tingxuan Zhang David Tingxuan Zhang For years, China’s embattled real estate sector has been framed as a terminal drag on the economy – a deflating bubble that policymakers are unwilling to rescue but unable to ignore. That framing misses what is happening. The absence of a large bailout is not so much a sign of the leadership’s indifference as a deliberate choice. It points to something more consequential than short-term market stabilisation: a systemic effort to redesign the sector’s role in the macroeconomy. The old development... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/opinion/china-opinion/article/3347891/reinflate-property-sector-no-china-wants-ambitious-redesign?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/opinion/china-opinion/article/3347891/reinflate-property-sector-no-china-wants-ambitious-redesign?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 01 Apr 2026 21:30:07 +0000 Daniel Ren Daniel Ren Transactions of pre-owned homes in major Chinese cities led by Shanghai surged in March, fuelling expectations that the country’s embattled property sector may be stabilising. Analysts and brokers said a more active resale market pointed to a gradual return of confidence among homebuyers after a three-year downturn. In Shanghai, about 22,000 second-hand homes changed hands between March 1 and 23, up 170 per cent from the same period a month earlier, according to data from local financial outlet... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/business/banking-finance/article/3348255/rising-second-hand-home-sales-offer-tentative-signs-floor-chinas-property-slump?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/business/banking-finance/article/3348255/rising-second-hand-home-sales-offer-tentative-signs-floor-chinas-property-slump?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 29 Mar 2026 06:00:34 +0000 Daniel Ren Daniel Ren China’s more than 100,000 home furnishing companies - most of which are micro businesses - have entered a tumultuous phase as a property slump and persistent deflationary pressure prevent them from making profits. With no property resurgence in sight, the industry, which employs millions of labourers across the country, was likely to see thousands of players expelled from the highly competitive market this year, according to company officials and analysts. “Involution is the name of the game in... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/business/companies/article/3343827/sofa-so-bad-chinas-home-furnishing-sector-hits-do-or-die-moment?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/business/companies/article/3343827/sofa-so-bad-chinas-home-furnishing-sector-hits-do-or-die-moment?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 18 Feb 2026 02:00:09 +0000 Zhu Wenqian Zhu Wenqian Local government support has lifted sentiment in China’s struggling property sector ahead of the spring sales season, but analysts remain divided on the outlook as structural pressures persist. New and existing home prices across 70 major mainland cities fell at a slower pace month on month in January, while annual declines widened, according to data released by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) on Friday. New home prices in the four tier-one cities dropped 2.1 per cent year on year, 0.4... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/business/article/3343581/policy-backing-steadies-china-property-outlook-full-rebound-still-elusive?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/business/article/3343581/policy-backing-steadies-china-property-outlook-full-rebound-still-elusive?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 15 Feb 2026 01:30:13 +0000 Zhu Wenqian Zhu Wenqian Mainland China’s new and existing home prices posted a smaller month-on-month decline in January, but the annual drop widened, indicating a housing market that has yet to find a clear floor, analysts said. Commercial residential prices across 70 major cities fell at a slower pace from December on a monthly basis, while new-home prices in the four tier-one cities dropped 2.1 per cent year on year, 0.4 percentage points steeper than the previous month, according to data released by the National... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/business/article/3343442/china-housing-market-shows-no-clear-turning-point-price-declines-continue?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/business/article/3343442/china-housing-market-shows-no-clear-turning-point-price-declines-continue?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 13 Feb 2026 07:00:44 +0000 Zhu Wenqian Zhu Wenqian In a move to bolster the stability of the property market, Shanghai unveiled a plan to buy second-hand homes for use as public rental housing, with the move timed to coincide with the opening of the city’s annual “two sessions” meetings. With the official launch of a pilot programme on Monday, the city aims to meet rental demand from young residents including college students and new urban arrivals. The initiative will roll out first in the downtown districts of Pudong, Jing’an and Xuhui. Backed... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/business/article/3342204/shanghai-buy-second-hand-homes-rental-housing-pilot-support-property-market?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/business/article/3342204/shanghai-buy-second-hand-homes-rental-housing-pilot-support-property-market?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 03 Feb 2026 06:45:34 +0000 Cao Li Cao Li Home prices in mainland China continued to decline at a rapid pace in December, posing challenges for an economy that is struggling to find new growth drivers. New home prices fell 0.4 per cent month on month on average across 70 cities, according to data from the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) on Monday. The fall matched November’s drop and was among the steepest in more than a year. Prices slipped 3 per cent year on year in December, accelerating from a 2.8 per cent drop in November. Only... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/property/article/3340369/mainland-chinas-home-prices-extend-slide-adding-strain-struggling-property-sector?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/property/article/3340369/mainland-chinas-home-prices-extend-slide-adding-strain-struggling-property-sector?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 19 Jan 2026 04:14:19 +0000 Michael Han Michael Han For years, Beijing attempted to trade flats for microchips, a bold effort to rewire the economy. But 2025 showed that a hi-tech superstructure cannot be built on the crumbling foundation of a middle-class balance sheet. Now, in the opening 2026 issue of Qiushi, the Communist Party’s most influential journal, a new signal has emerged, indicating that the leadership is prepared to halt the decline. A key commentary in the journal presents a notable analytical shift. It reaffirms real estate as a... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/opinion/china-opinion/article/3339640/china-set-double-down-property-market-stability?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/opinion/china-opinion/article/3339640/china-set-double-down-property-market-stability?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 14 Jan 2026 08:30:15 +0000 Cao Li Cao Li China’s top real estate developers continue to shrink, according to industry data. The number of mainland property developers achieving annual contracted sales of at least 100 billion yuan (US$14 billion) dropped to just 10 in 2025 from a peak of 43 in 2020, research firm China Real Estate Information Corporation (CRIC) said in a report on Sunday. Among the top 10 developers, only one, China Jinmao Holdings, reported year-on-year growth in sales, according to CRIC. The ranks of developers in the... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/business/article/3338893/chinas-developers-diminish-further-amid-unending-property-downturn?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/business/article/3338893/chinas-developers-diminish-further-amid-unending-property-downturn?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 06 Jan 2026 07:30:11 +0000 Daniel Ren Daniel Ren The slumbering property sector remains a threat to China’s economic growth because of its huge impact on the employment rate and consumer demand, according to industry officials and analysts. Amid sharp declines in property investment, housing sales and home prices last year, a further downturn of the significant sector may put more developers, workers, homebuyers and banks at risk. In the first 11 months of 2025, new properties worth 7.5 trillion yuan (US$1.07 trillion), comprising units for... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/business/banking-finance/article/3338662/property-industry-remains-enemy-within-beijings-economic-targets?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/business/banking-finance/article/3338662/property-industry-remains-enemy-within-beijings-economic-targets?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 04 Jan 2026 07:30:16 +0000 Zhu Wenqian Zhu Wenqian China will lower value-added tax (VAT) on individual home resales from January 1, but while the measure has drawn interest from consumers, property agents have said most remain cautious and are adopting a wait-and-see approach. The policy would work to a certain extent, but its ability to revive the housing market was likely to be limited, they added. Individuals selling residential properties within two years of purchase would now be subject to a VAT rate of 3 per cent, down from 5 per cent,... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/business/banking-finance/article/3338284/china-housing-market-gets-vat-relief-resales-demand-outlook-stays-subdued?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/business/banking-finance/article/3338284/china-housing-market-gets-vat-relief-resales-demand-outlook-stays-subdued?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 31 Dec 2025 09:30:12 +0000 Enoch Yiu Enoch Yiu Mainland China will cut or waive value-added tax (VAT) on the resale of homes by individuals from Thursday, in its latest move to shore up a property market that has been stuck in a prolonged slump. Under the new rules, individuals who sell a residential property within two years of buying it will pay VAT at 3 per cent, down from 5 per cent, according to a joint statement released on Tuesday by the Ministry of Finance and the State Taxation Administration. The policy does not apply to corporate... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/business/article/3338209/beijing-trims-property-resale-tax-fresh-push-stabilise-housing-market?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/business/article/3338209/beijing-trims-property-resale-tax-fresh-push-stabilise-housing-market?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 30 Dec 2025 16:25:51 +0000 Cao Li Cao Li Home prices in mainland China continued to decline at a rapid pace in November, posing challenges for policymakers who have vowed to stem a years-long downturn. New home prices fell 0.4 per cent month on month on average across 70 cities, according to data from the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) on Monday. The decline eased slightly from a 0.5 per cent fall in October, but it was among the steepest in more than a year. Prices slipped 2.8 per cent year on year in November, compared with a... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/business/article/3336438/chinas-home-prices-slide-further-november-authorities-vow-stabilise-sector?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/business/article/3336438/chinas-home-prices-slide-further-november-authorities-vow-stabilise-sector?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 15 Dec 2025 05:19:54 +0000 Mia Nurmamat Mia Nurmamat Shanghai has launched a crackdown on online content that talks down the property market, as the sector remains mired in a prolonged downturn and two leading data providers pull back on releasing updated sales figures for China’s top developers. The Shanghai branch of the Cyberspace Administration of China said it had instructed platforms including RedNote and Bilibili – often dubbed China’s answer to Instagram and YouTube – to remove content deemed to be spreading misleading or alarmist... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/economy/china-economy/article/3335083/shanghai-launches-clampdown-property-market-doom-mongering?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/economy/china-economy/article/3335083/shanghai-launches-clampdown-property-market-doom-mongering?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 03 Dec 2025 14:00:10 +0000 Cao Li Cao Li The decline in China’s home prices is accelerating, with new home prices in October – traditionally a peak month for sales – falling at the fastest pace in 12 months across the country despite government support, as the economy slows and job prospects remain uncertain. New home prices fell 0.5 per cent month on month on average across 70 sampled cities, according to National Bureau of Statistics data released on Friday. It was the steepest drop since the 0.7 per cent fall in September last year.... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/business/article/3332746/chinas-housing-slide-deepens-october-prices-fall-fastest-pace-year?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/business/article/3332746/chinas-housing-slide-deepens-october-prices-fall-fastest-pace-year?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 14 Nov 2025 04:18:32 +0000 Daniel Ren Daniel Ren Stronger stimulus measures are needed to halt the decline in China’s embattled property sector, as Beijing aims to guide the national economy towards a stable and healthy trajectory, according to Citigroup. An incentive package – including interest rate reductions, tax cuts, further relaxation of home purchase restrictions and the buy-back of idle land – could help revitalise the real estate industry, said Yu Xiangrong, Citi’s chief economist for Greater China, during a media briefing in... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/business/money/article/3332651/chinas-property-sector-needs-stronger-stimulus-citigroup-economist?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/business/money/article/3332651/chinas-property-sector-needs-stronger-stimulus-citigroup-economist?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 13 Nov 2025 10:45:10 +0000 David Tingxuan Zhang David Tingxuan Zhang Few outside China might know that e-commerce giants Alibaba and JD.com host the country’s largest online platforms for distressed property sales. On any given day, their auction websites offer a front-row view of China’s housing downturn where properties are foreclosed and liquidated under court orders, often at market-shaking discounts. A month ago, 66 flat units in a Shanghai project owned by indebted developer Sunac were put up for auction after being seized by courts. Buyers were found but... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/opinion/china-opinion/article/3330176/amid-wave-foreclosures-chinas-homeowners-could-use-break?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/opinion/china-opinion/article/3330176/amid-wave-foreclosures-chinas-homeowners-could-use-break?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 25 Oct 2025 21:30:07 +0000 Salina Li Salina Li China’s new home prices fell at the fastest pace in 11 months in September across 70 major cities despite easing policies, as high inventories, concerns over job security and economic uncertainty continued to hurt confidence in the property market, analysts said. New home prices fell 0.4 per cent month on month, following a 0.3 per cent decline in August, according to National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) data released on Monday. It was the biggest monthly decline since last October’s 0.5 per cent... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/business/article/3329662/chinas-new-home-prices-slump-fastest-pace-11-months-amid-dented-buyer-confidence?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/business/article/3329662/chinas-new-home-prices-slump-fastest-pace-11-months-amid-dented-buyer-confidence?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 20 Oct 2025 08:06:44 +0000 Cao Li Cao Li China’s years-long real estate downturn is slowing growth and forcing China’s property managers to look for new sources of income, from accompanying the elderly to doctor appointments to walking dogs. Recently, a property manager in Wuhan, capital of central Hubei province, looked after a family’s pet chickens while they were away, according to a post from the sprawling city’s property management association. The manager fed them, moved them to an air-conditioned room following signs of... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/business/article/3328536/chinas-property-managers-pivot-elderly-services-and-pet-care-amid-real-estate-woes?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/business/article/3328536/chinas-property-managers-pivot-elderly-services-and-pet-care-amid-real-estate-woes?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 12 Oct 2025 03:00:09 +0000 Mandy Zuo Mandy Zuo With China’s three most economically important cities recently rolling out policies to address renewed weakness in the property sector, analysts say stabilising the industry would be significant in terms of boosting consumer sentiment, but that no quick market rebound should be expected. After Beijing, north China’s biggest population centre, lifted purchase limits outside its Fifth Ring Road and eased housing fund rules in early August, Shanghai and Shenzhen followed suit with similar policies... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/economy/china-economy/article/3327455/can-easing-property-curbs-3-big-cities-help-give-chinese-consumption-boost?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/economy/china-economy/article/3327455/can-easing-property-curbs-3-big-cities-help-give-chinese-consumption-boost?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 02 Oct 2025 01:00:13 +0000 He Huifeng He Huifeng In Xingyang, Henan province, a long-stalled project by Evergrande – the world’s most indebted real estate developer – lays bare two sharply contrasting realities. On social media, frustrated buyers who paid for their long-promised flats years ago plead for updates on their unfinished homes. Meanwhile, the project’s lavish sales hall has found a new lease of life: under its glittering chandeliers, production crews shoot family feuds and love triangles for China’s booming micro-drama industry. The... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/economy/china-economy/article/3326163/chinas-micro-drama-boom-turns-stalled-real-estate-projects-lavish-film-sets?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/economy/china-economy/article/3326163/chinas-micro-drama-boom-turns-stalled-real-estate-projects-lavish-film-sets?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 21 Sep 2025 07:00:09 +0000 Xinyi Wu,Ji Siqi Xinyi Wu,Ji Siqi China’s economy showed signs of strain in August, as sluggish domestic demand, headwinds from the US trade war and a prolonged property downturn continued to weigh on several major indicators. Retail sales, a major gauge of consumption, rose by 3.4 per cent in August from a year earlier, missing the 3.82 per cent forecast in a poll by financial data provider Wind and down from July’s 3.7 per cent growth, data from the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) showed on Monday. Fu Linghui, spokesperson... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/economy/economic-indicators/article/3325524/chinas-economy-under-strain-august-retail-sales-industrial-output-miss-forecasts?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/economy/economic-indicators/article/3325524/chinas-economy-under-strain-august-retail-sales-industrial-output-miss-forecasts?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 15 Sep 2025 01:59:44 +0000 Daniel Ren Daniel Ren Shanghai, the commercial and financial hub of mainland China, has further relaxed its home purchase policy, following Beijing’s lead to rejuvenate the nation’s sluggish property market. Local residents could now own an unlimited number of flats outside the city’s outer ring road, an area where two-thirds of Shanghai’s housing is located, municipality authorities said on Monday. Previously, families were restricted to a maximum of two housing units in Shanghai. The mortgage rate for buyers of a... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/business/banking-finance/article/3323030/shanghai-relaxes-home-buying-rules-chinas-property-market-struggles?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/business/banking-finance/article/3323030/shanghai-relaxes-home-buying-rules-chinas-property-market-struggles?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 25 Aug 2025 05:37:23 +0000 Daniel Ren,Yuke Xie Daniel Ren,Yuke Xie Homebuyers in mainland China’s major cities are responding tepidly to new policy relaxations, anticipating further price drops amid an uncertain outlook for the sector. Analysts and potential buyers warn that the bearish sentiments might weaken the effectiveness of the stimulus measures aimed at reviving the stagnant property market “The market sentiment is terribly weak now, and the consensus among potential buyers is that prices will slide in the coming months if homeowners are eager to get... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/business/banking-finance/article/3322138/chinese-homebuyers-snub-government-incentives-they-bet-further-price-falls?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/business/banking-finance/article/3322138/chinese-homebuyers-snub-government-incentives-they-bet-further-price-falls?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 18 Aug 2025 01:30:16 +0000 Carol Yang Carol Yang A high-level Chinese official has called for easing property and other market restrictions to boost spending among the wealthy, as Beijing steps up efforts to stimulate consumption amid deflationary pressures. “Let the rich spend. This is the most direct [approach],” said Yin Yanlin, who was deputy director at the Office of the Central Financial and Economic Affairs Commission, a party organ overseeing economic policy, from 2018 to 2023. Yin, now a senior economic adviser in the Chinese People’s... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/economy/china-economy/article/3322014/china-told-remove-purchase-restrictions-set-mandatory-targets-spur-consumption?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/economy/china-economy/article/3322014/china-told-remove-purchase-restrictions-set-mandatory-targets-spur-consumption?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 15 Aug 2025 11:30:07 +0000 Mandy Zuo Mandy Zuo Shanghai, China’s commercial centre, will launch a wide-ranging initiative to redevelop urban villages next year, marking one of its most ambitious citywide renewal campaigns yet. The project, announced at a late July meeting of the city’s legislative body as part of a three-year plan, signals a broader and more intensive push to overhaul urban villages than previous efforts. As the nation’s financial hub and most populous city, Shanghai has the second-highest housing prices in mainland China... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/economy/china-economy/article/3321463/shanghai-plans-housing-upgrade-drive-boost-consumption-investment?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/economy/china-economy/article/3321463/shanghai-plans-housing-upgrade-drive-boost-consumption-investment?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 11 Aug 2025 09:29:45 +0000 He Huifeng He Huifeng The race for China’s provincial economy crown has turned red hot, with Jiangsu closing the gap with Guangdong through tech-driven growth. Jiangsu’s gross domestic product (GDP) now stands at 97.44 per cent of Guangdong’s, with the distance between the two provinces narrowing to 175.76 billion yuan (US$24.5 billion) in the first half of 2025 – compared to 191.62 billion yuan for the same period last year, according to data released by provincial authorities. That marks the closest margin in... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/economy/economic-indicators/article/3319135/chinas-jiangsu-province-narrows-gdp-gap-guangdong-tech-sectors-fuel-growth?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/economy/economic-indicators/article/3319135/chinas-jiangsu-province-narrows-gdp-gap-guangdong-tech-sectors-fuel-growth?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 22 Jul 2025 12:00:12 +0000 Xiaofei Xu Xiaofei Xu China's top leaders have raised concerns about excessive competition in the domestic market in recent weeks, signalling a shift in policy priorities. In a meeting chaired by President Xi Jinping on July 1, the Central Finance and Economic Affairs Commission said Beijing needs to “focus on key and difficult issues, regulate enterprises’ disorderly and low-price competition” and “guide enterprises to improve product quality and promote the orderly exit of outdated production capacity”. The... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/economy/china-economy/article/3318110/why-chinas-fight-against-excessive-competition-different-past-reforms?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/economy/china-economy/article/3318110/why-chinas-fight-against-excessive-competition-different-past-reforms?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 14 Jul 2025 05:57:19 +0000 Yuke Xie Yuke Xie Luxury home sales in Shanghai are defying a nationwide slump, as wealthy buyers snap up “safe haven” assets amid expectations of further price gains – a trend likely to continue given scarce inventory and rising land costs. In the first half of this year, the mainland’s financial capital led in transactions of premium homes, accounting for sales of 482 new homes priced above 50 million yuan (US$7 million), more than 80 per cent of the total across 30 cities, according to data compiled by China... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/business/article/3317431/shanghais-luxury-home-sales-boom-wealthy-buyers-flock-safe-haven-assets?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/business/article/3317431/shanghais-luxury-home-sales-boom-wealthy-buyers-flock-safe-haven-assets?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 09 Jul 2025 00:30:07 +0000 Sylvia Ma Sylvia Ma Beijing’s latest push to curb price wars may help ease deflationary pressures, but analysts warn the current measures fall short of addressing deeper structural problems facing the world’s second-largest economy. China’s GDP deflator – a broad measure of prices across goods and services – has been negative since the second quarter of 2023, while consumer prices have fallen for four straight months year-on-year. To stop the deflationary spiral, Chinese authorities should address the cause: weak... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/economy/china-economy/article/3317239/china-urged-take-bolder-steps-tackle-price-wars-deflation-and-weak-demand?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/economy/china-economy/article/3317239/china-urged-take-bolder-steps-tackle-price-wars-deflation-and-weak-demand?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 07 Jul 2025 10:15:10 +0000 Brian Rhoads,Raymond Ma Brian Rhoads,Raymond Ma China’s central bank governor announced eight financial reforms, extending regulators’ efforts to boost the yuan’s role in global markets and support the economy. Opening an international operations centre for the digital yuan, creating a personal credit-rating provider and piloting tools designed to increase cross-border trade were among the measures unveiled by Pan Gongsheng at the Lujiazui Forum in Shanghai. Zhu Hexin, head of the nation’s foreign exchange regulator, also pledged to maintain... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/plus/article/3314905/china-plots-course-boost-yuan-versus-dominant-dollar?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/plus/article/3314905/china-plots-course-boost-yuan-versus-dominant-dollar?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 18 Jun 2025 09:00:09 +0000 Yuke Xie Yuke Xie New home prices across major cities in mainland China weakened in May, extending the sequential monthly decline to two years as analysts warned Beijing’s stimulus measures were no longer effective in helping to end the crisis. Prices in 70 major cities fell 0.2 per cent, following a 0.1 per cent drop in April, according to data published by the government’s statistics bureau on Monday. New home prices retreated 4.1 per cent in May from a year earlier, narrowing from a 4.5 per cent decline in the... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/business/article/3314579/no-respite-chinas-property-crisis-new-home-prices-drop-24th-month?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/business/article/3314579/no-respite-chinas-property-crisis-new-home-prices-drop-24th-month?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 16 Jun 2025 06:32:47 +0000 Yulu Ao Yulu Ao Shanghai’s high-end property market continues to buck the national downturn, with deep-pocketed buyers pouring capital into top-tier homes that are seen as value-preserving assets despite economic uncertainty, analysts said. Buyers snapped up all 64 units offered at One Central Park, a luxury development in the city’s core Huangpu district, on Wednesday, spending 4 billion yuan (US$556 million). Developed by Sunac China Holdings, Citic Group and Xinhu Group, the project is located in the city’s... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/business/china-business/article/3311551/hot-shanghai-property-market-defies-national-slump-luxury-units-sell-quickly?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/business/china-business/article/3311551/hot-shanghai-property-market-defies-national-slump-luxury-units-sell-quickly?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 25 May 2025 03:00:12 +0000 Yuke Xie Yuke Xie Home prices in major cities in mainland China stabilised, holding onto recent gains as lower borrowing costs and state-led measures to support developers helped inject confidence in the market. Prices of new homes in China’s four first-tier cities were unchanged in April from a month ago, following a 0.1 per cent rise in March, according to data covering 70 large and medium-sized cities published by the statistics bureau on Monday. Prices in second-tier cities were also unchanged, while those in... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/business/article/3310865/chinas-new-home-prices-stabilise-rate-cut-lifeline-funding-lift-market-confidence?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/business/article/3310865/chinas-new-home-prices-stabilise-rate-cut-lifeline-funding-lift-market-confidence?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 19 May 2025 04:34:39 +0000