Shanghai, Beijing Among Top Cities for Investment – and more of today’s China Real Estate Links | December 13, 2012

Here is a list of the day’s latest China real estate news collected from around the web:

• Shanghai, Beijing Among Top Cities for Investment

  Shanghai, Beijing and several second-tier cities rank in the top ten cities for investment and development prospects in the Asia Pacific region, according to Emerging Trends in Real Estate® Asia Pacific 2013, published by the Urban Land Institute (ULI) and PwC.

  The widely anticipated forecast provides an overview of Asia Pacific real estate investment and development trends, real estate finance and capital markets, and trends by property sector and metropolitan area. It is being released today at a program hosted by ULI Asia Pacific and PwC.

• Chinese economy to dodge hard landing say Standard Chartered

  The Chinese economy will not witness a hard landing, Stephen Green, head of Greater China research at Standard Chartered Bank, said Tuesday.

  The government projects, credit and the real estate sector are the three main leading indicators to forecast China’s economy, Green said while addressing a seminar held by the Hong Kong General Chamber of Commerce.

  He said data show that both the central and local government projects are going up this year, compared with the dropping trend since around 2008, and at the same time, the real credit sector also sees the growth, implying the investment activity will pick up.

• Demand for Asia-Pacific Real Estate May Increase, LaSalle Says

  Demand for real estate in the Asia- Pacific region will increase next year as economies get stronger and institutional investors diversify their portfolios, LaSalle Investment Management Inc. said.

  Bolstered by low interest rates and fiscal measures, economic growth may strengthen next year in Asia and lead to a gradual pick-up in investment decisions, LaSalle said. Real estate values may be boosted by an abrupt economic recovery in China, according to the investment management company, which has $47 billion assets under management.

• Blackstone Eyes $2 Billion For Asia Real-Estate Fund

  The Blackstone Group aims to raise at least $2 billion for its first real-estate fund focused on Asia.

  The alternative investments giant’s first foray into the space will focus on Japan, China, Australia and India. “We’re now starting an Asian real-estate fund,” Blackstone President Tony James said last week. “These are unique products, and they’re unique products in an asset class that investors increasingly want. It’s hard assets.”

This list is updated daily, so tune in again tomorrow for more up to date information, or subscribe to our daily email news digest to get this delivered to your mailbox.