Residential property in China

Chinese nationals currently dominate the residential market but new regulations outlined in 2015 will make it easier for foreigners to purchase property. Under these new rules, foreigners will no longer be required to work or study in China for one year before they can buy and many regions, although notably not Shanghai and Beijing, will permit foreigners to purchase more than one property.

Beijing is the capital and the political centre while some 60 miles to the west Tianjin is the largest coastal city in the north.

The largest city in the country though is vibrant, international Shanghai, a skyscraper-filled commercial and financial centre that has seen tremendous growth as the newly mobile Chinese workforce swells the city population. Newly developed suburbs around Shanghai include Hongqiao where massive investment has been made in the infrastructure.

Shanghai is in eastern China, the region currently most favoured by international property investors. It is modern, rich in natural resources and a leading industrial area. The provinces of Shandong, Jiangsu and Zhejiang are among the main centres and include the cities of Qingdao, a major port, and Hangzhou.

The South Central region, also rich in resources, is developing rapidly and includes the thriving province of Guangdong with China’s third largest city, Guangzhou and also Shenzhenin, the country’s first Special Economic Zone.