ASIAN debt managers expect real estate developers and companies in China, South Korea and Australia to provide them with the most investment opportunities next year, an industry survey shows. Economic recession, slowing consumer spending and shrinking bank lending indicate a growing number of Asia-Pacific companies will face difficulty refinancing debt next year, according to a survey of 100 hedge fund...
China Property
Singapore's Frasers Hospitality, which manages serviced apartments, has launched its latest property in Shanghai. Despite the current global financial uncertainty, it remains bullish about its prospects. Frasers Suites Top Glory in Shanghai was opened by former US secretary of state, Henry Kissinger. The five-tower serviced apartments are located in the bustling Lujiazui central business district in...
Municipal governments in Shanghai and Hangzhou on China's east coast have joined a growing number of cities to introduce measures to prop up the sliding real estate market. For individuals buying their first homes in Shanghai, the maximum they can borrow from the government's housing fund has been doubled to 200,000 yuan ($43,100), the city's housing fund management agency said. The new rules took effect...
Property developers pull out all stops to boost sales CHINA'S property market is facing a downturn. This has prompted some Chinese developers to resort to publicity stunts and even gimmicks to revive interest among prospective buyers. Following a slowdown in June, the property market in China is expected to remain sluggish in the last quarter of this year. In its report, Singapore's DBS Group Research...
With initial progress underway at the China-Singapore Tianjin Eco-City project, Singapore Senior Minister Goh Chok Tong says what needs to be done is for policy measures to be either tweaked or put in place. While saying that Singapore had chosen the right site for the bilateral flagship project, Mr Goh acknowledged that the challenge right now lies in attracting investors. Mr Goh said his visit to the...
Senior Minister Goh Chok Tong has suggested that the China-Singapore Tianjin Eco-City can be turned into a sub-regional financial hub within China's northeastern region. Mr Goh made the suggestion during a meeting in Tianjin with the city's Party Secretary Zhang Gaoli on Thursday evening. He said the flagship project between China and Singapore can also serve as a hub for training skilled workers,...
Property developer CapitaLand is selling its Capital Tower Beijing office tower for US$352 million. It declined to name the buyer, except to say it is a Fortune 500 company, which is looking to set up a corporate headquarters in Beijing. CapitaLand intends to use the funds to reinvest in other opportunities in China. It will also recognise a gain of about US$115 million. The developer said it received...
Upping the swank factor While almost everybody else in China was glued to news about the Olympics, Singapore-based Frasers Hospitality yesterday opened its swankiest digs to date in the country, the 357-unit Fraser Suites CBD in Beijing, which cost US$135 million ($190 million). Singapore President S R Nathan, in the Chinese capital at the invitation of that country’s government to watch the Games,...
Southeast Asia's biggest property developer, CapitaLand, has set up a US$1 billion private equity fund to invest in mixed-use commercial properties in China. The size of the fund could be increased to US$1.3 billion by the end of this year. The Raffles City China Fund is the first for CapitaLand in China and also the largest in value it has ever managed. The fund will target prime mixed-use commercial...
Frasers Hospitality - the property arm of mainboard-listed Fraser & Neave - is planning to grow its presence in the emerging markets of China, India and Vietnam. Revealing this at a news briefing on Thursday, Frasers said it plans to add about 5,000 serviced apartment units to its portfolio over the next two years. It is scheduled to open 10 new properties this year, and another 25 over 2009 and...