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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 12-metre-tall sculpture of Ultraman Zero stands at an Ultraman-themed venue inside Shanghai Haichang Ocean Park in Shanghai in July 2022. Photo: Getty Images
Banking & finance

Chinese billionaire detained in shadow banking scandal on the mainland

Police in Zhejiang have imposed ‘criminal compulsory measures’ against Yu Faxiang and are conducting a probe into his alleged wrongdoings.

China Vanke

China Vanke wins bondholders’ reprieve, averts default for now

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Banking & finance

China to hide bad debt records for pandemic-hit borrowers who repay small loans

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Luxury brands

Why global luxury brands are switching to shopping streets in China

Luxury giants are transforming China’s retail scene, blending culture, cuisine and shopping in vibrant street-level destinations.

Stand-alone flagship stores with distinctive architectural facades are gradually gaining traction in China. Above, Beijing’s Taikoo Li Sanlitun North. Photo: Zhu Wenqian
Trending in China

Chinese firm gifts renovated flats to employees after 5-year service to retain staff

All flats are located within 5km of the company and vary in size from 100 to 150 square metres.

Property policies

Opinion | China’s property market isn’t so much collapsing as being reconfigured

Viewing China’s real estate crisis solely through the lens of market indicators misses the deeper, structural shifts at play.

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China consumption

From taboo to trendy: China’s second-hand luxury market cashes in on resale boom

Driven by an uneven recovery and property crisis, value-conscious shoppers are powering a second-hand boom as platforms use tech to verify authenticity and overcome stigma.

Illustration: Henry Wong
China Vanke

China Vanke’s managers have no plans to sell shares as firm fights for survival

Vanke, responding to queries from investors, says top managers have not notified it about their intentions so far.

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Bonds

China Vanke unveils proposal to extend US$366 million bond after 3 failed bids

Bondholders will vote on the revised plan from Thursday to Monday, and it requires over 90 per cent of the total voting rights to take effect.

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China economy

China’s elusive domestic demand holds key to revival of faltering economy

Getting Chinese consumers to open their wallets after property-market losses is a tough task for leaders seeking to reheat the cooling economy – it may also be the only option.

Photo: EPA
Mainland China

China’s home prices slide further in November as authorities vow to stem decline

China’s years-long housing downturn shows no signs of easing as new home prices fell 0.4 per cent month on month on average in 70 cities.

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China’s top 100 developers sold homes worth 4.4 trillion yuan worth of homes last year. Photo: EPA
China Vanke

Vanke’s bondholders reject payment extension, raising default risk

The rejection in a three-day vote that ended late on Friday gives the developer a grace period of five business days to pay 2 billion yuan of onshore bond.

Shanghai

Shanghai retail landscape evolves with new malls, shift to experiential shopping

Hang Lung, New World and Swire are renovating and expanding their malls in Shanghai to stay relevant in a competitive environment.

China GDP

China to keep high fiscal deficit ratio in 2026 to buoy spending plans: analysts

After central economic work conference, observers said ratio is likely to stay at this year’s record 4 per cent in line with ‘targeted’ spending.

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President Xi Jinping speaks at this year’s central economic work conference in Beijing. Photo: Xinhua
China GDP

IMF raises China growth forecast to 5% for 2025, citing resilience

The assessment is up from October’s forecast, with the fund citing government stimulus and lower tariffs as drivers.

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IMF Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva speaks at a press conference during the 2025 Spring Meetings of the World Bank Group and IMF in Washington, DC, the United States, on April 24. Photo: Xinhua
China's economic recovery

China warns internet platforms not to shift tax burden onto gig workers

Celebrities and high-profile influencers also under scrutiny, with regulators pursuing hundreds of such cases in recent years.

China's economic recovery

China’s Politburo pledges action to tackle trade ‘struggles’ in 2026

Analysts said the decision-making body’s phrasing on the international trade environment suggests a cautious stance next year despite US truce.

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China GDP

China’s economic focus in 2026: what to expect as leaders prep for major meeting

Growth of ‘around 5 per cent’ may be revised to between 4.5 and 5 per cent, analysts say, as leadership gears up for tone-setting conference.

Chinese leaders will hold the central economic work conference in December, a closed-door meeting to discuss the top policy goals for 2026.
Hong Kong

Chinese developer Country Garden gains Hong Kong court-backed debt lifeline

Onshore and offshore restructuring plans expected to reduce debt by US$12.7 billion and ease repayment pressure over the next five years.

Open Questions series

Open Questions | Huang Yiping on AI and stablecoins’ risks and rewards for China

Influential economist says growth in artificial intelligence must protect livelihoods and Chinese central bank’s cryptocurrency caution is warranted.

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Property policies

Shanghai launches clampdown on property market doom-mongering

City’s internet regulators shut down 70,000 accounts in a ‘special campaign’ against pessimistic content as real estate jitters continue.

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Shanghai has launched a “special campaign” against online content that talks down the property market. Photo: Shutterstock
China economy

Opinion | China’s shrinking credit reflects a financial reset, not a collapse

Beijing is moving away from the old growth model reliant on rising leverage, towards a framework that prizes risk management and data integrity.

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An aerial view of buildings under construction in Hangzhou, Zhejiang province, on March 15. Beijing is allowing underperforming and overleveraged segments, especially property developers and local government financing vehicles, to contract. Photo: AFP
Mainland China

UBS predicts 2.4 million China property foreclosures as loan defaults rise

Apartments seized from small businesses could reach more than 2.4 million by 2027, according to UBS’ John Lam.

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Mainland China

Morgan Stanley sees mainland China property slump extending into 2026

The US investment bank expects limited policy support from Beijing next year despite few signs of a turnaround in the sector.

China economy

Opinion | How China could solve its consumption conundrum

Beijing’s priority should be bold short-term countercyclical action: issuing US$400 vouchers and stabilising the property sector.

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People shop at a supermarket in Zaozhuang city, in Shandong province, on August 9. Photo: Xinhua
China Vanke

The View | Why China Vanke’s debt woes have barely made a ripple in markets

Robust exports, surging stocks and investors looking elsewhere have curbed pressure for more forceful government intervention.

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A security guard gestures in front of Vanke’s headquarters in Shenzhen. Vanke has proposed delaying repayment on a yuan-denominated bond for the first time, causing the prices of some its dollar-denominated bonds to fall into distressed territory. Photo: Reuters
China's economic recovery

Explainer | What’s next for China’s economy in 2026 – and how it plans to tackle challenges

Top investment banks forecast moderate growth next year amid trade, property and structural challenges.

China economy

As I see it | China’s extended property slump was always expected

History has shown that when real estate bubbles burst, the economic damage is usually severe and prolonged.

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