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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.
A huge, ship-shaped Louis Vuitton cultural and retail landmark is seen in Shanghai. China’s luxury spending is expected to help drive a global rebound this year. Photo: Getty Images
China consumption

China’s luxury spending seen boosting global sales in 2026 despite headwinds

Affluent Chinese consumers are expected to splurge, though a volatile property market and oil price shocks pose challenges, analysts say.

Asia housing and property

From ghost to giant: long skyscraper saga nears finish amid China property woes

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China energy security

Open Questions | Iran war to test China’s self-reliance, Goldman Sachs economist says

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China economy

Opinion | Reinflate the property sector? No, China wants an ambitious redesign

Beijing is attempting a difficult pivot: transforming real estate from a debt-driven growth engine into a pillar of a consumption-led economy.

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Flats under construction in Nanjing, Jiangsu province, in eastern China on February 13. Photo: AFP
Hong Kong property

Mainland China, Hong Kong premium office supply to peak as demand lags: Cushman

Weak absorption reflects cautious corporate leasing amid global uncertainties, but Cushman expects gradual recovery as new sectors expand.

Mainland China

Top Chinese developers’ losses mount as debt overhaul props up operations

Analysts say subdued demand and cautious buyers persist, with one-off debt restructuring masking deeper losses in the sector.

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China economy

Rising second-hand home sales offer signs China’s property slump is bottoming out

Increased resale activity, driven by first-time buyers and policy support, is fuelling hopes that China’s property market may be stabilising.

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. Photo: Getty Images
Mainland China

Opinion | China’s property pivot: from growth engine to protected household asset

Social and economic stability is now the key focus as Beijing works to preserve households’ property asset wealth against developers’ debt.

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US-China relations

As China’s property downturn grinds on, foreign suppliers strive to adapt

US lift giant Otis is riding a growing trend for retrofitting older buildings in China, as new construction projects remain thin on the ground.

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Banking & finance

Opinion | Why a global private-credit meltdown would hit China hard

It could leave emerging economies scrambling for financing just as their repayment obligations to Chinese lenders mount.

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People wait to cross a road in Beijing on March 6. A private-credit crisis could prompt a wave of restructuring of loans due to China, complicating its efforts to counter a structural downturn. Photo: AFP
Mainland China

China’s Country Garden set to post up to US$320 million profit after debt revamp

The developer – once China’s largest home builder by sales – poised to swing from US$5 billion loss in 2024 to profit in 2025 on debt deal.

A Country Garden project in Beijing. Photo: Kyodo
Hong Kong property

Hong Kong’s Henderson Land trims payout as Iran, mainland China cloud outlook

Kerry Properties also reports mixed 2025 results amid lift in Hong Kong home sales, weak office market and sluggish China recovery.

Mainland China

Shanghai joins major cities in loosening commercial property loan rules

Beijing remains the lone top-tier holdout as other cities ease their down payment requirements.

Guangzhou

China’s first-tier home prices stabilise in February after a 9-month decline

Annual price declines deepen nationwide, with policy support and supply reforms seen as key to recovery.

Apartment blocks under construction in Nanjing, in China’s eastern Jiangsu province. Mainland China’s first-tier new home prices were unchanged month on month in February, ending a nine-month decline. Photo: AFP
China GDP

China’s economy starts 2026 strongly as retail sales, investment rise

Before the Iran energy crisis and latest round of China-US trade talks, retail spending grew 2.8 per cent while fixed-asset investment increased 1.8 per cent.

People shop at a duty-free shopping mall in Sanya, south China’s Hainan province, on December 18, 2025. Photo: Xinhua
Electric & new energy vehicles

China mall shuffle: as EVs exit, who’s filling the ground-floor showrooms?

New demand for mall space comes from brands riding fresh trends, including Unitree Robotics, Pop Mart and Lululemon.

Hong Kong property

Hong Kong buyers snap up most of 360 flats at 2 projects as confidence returns

Buyers snapped up most units on sale, even though one agent said the Middle East conflict was ‘like a bucket of cold water’ on demand.

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Two Sessions 2025

‘Two sessions’ webinar

Experts from the Asia Society Policy Institute’s Center for China Analysis joined an SCMP Plus website to discuss China’s biggest political event of the year.

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‘Two sessions’ webinar
Mainland China

Chinese developer Sunshine 100 to oppose winding-up petition in Hong Kong

HTI Financial Solutions and Haitong International Financial Products filed the petition over a debt due in March last year, firm says.

Mainland China

China’s shoppers head for suburban outlets, a bright spot in retail property

Outlet spending nearly doubles to around US$36 billion over five years, prompting investment surge while urban malls suffer high vacancies.

Two Sessions 2026

Why China is moving away from tax cuts and pushing for reform

Tax revenue is way below peer countries – and Beijing is pushing for change.

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Premier Li Qiang is visible on a screen during the opening session of the National People’s Congress at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on Thursday. Photo: Reuters
Mainland China

Can China’s ‘two sessions’ find a strategy to fix the property rot?

China signals shift from debt-driven housing growth, but sweeping stimulus seen as unlikely.

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Calls to ‘accelerate the development of a new model for real estate’ have featured prominently in government work reports. Pnoto: AFP
Two Sessions 2026

China’s leaders outline economic focus ahead of ‘two sessions’ – what to expect

Top officials met ahead of Beijing’s annual legislative sessions, when this year’s growth target and five-year plan will be unveiled.

Shanghai

Shanghai eases residency requirements for homebuyers to spark property recovery

Non-residents with three years of social security contributions or individual income taxes will be allowed to buy a second home in the city.

China technology

Shenzhen dethrones Shanghai, Beijing as China’s top industrial powerhouse: mayor

Leading in R&D density, AI innovation and start-up cultivation, Shenzhen is building a full-stack AI ecosystem, according to the mayor’s annual work report.

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A humanoid robot prepares a drink at a coffee kiosk in Shenzhen on January 28. Photo: Getty Images
Banking & finance

Standard Chartered’s 2025 profit jumps 16% buoyed by wealth management growth

The London-based bank’s underlying pre-tax profit stood at US$7.9 billion last year, versus a gain of US$6.8 billion in 2024.

Standard Chartered Bank is one of Hong Kong’s three note-issuing banks. Photo: Nathan Tsui
Mainland China

Empty shops, falling rents: commercial property suffers in China retail slump

China’s key shopping street rents have fallen to 2018 levels as cautious consumers cut spending and landlords lower prices to fill vacancies.

China economy

Sofa so bad: China’s home-furnishing sector hits a do-or-die stretch

Falling home prices and relentless price competition are forcing small decor firms into a battle for survival.

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