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In this issue of China Briefing:

• Powering China’s Urbanization: A Market Overview of the Real Estate Sector
• Building for the Future: Selling Construction Materials in China
• Opportunities for a Foreign Architect or Firm in China

China’s urbanization wave is considered by many to be the largest in human history. Following Deng Xiaoping’s reform and open up policy, millions of rural Chinese moved to China’s major coastal cities looking for opportunities in the newly-established factories. As a result, cities like Shanghai and Shenzhen grew into sprawling metropolises practically overnight.

However, much of China’s rural to urban movement has been absorbed by the megacities unknown to most people outside the country. As cities like Beijing and Guangzhou continue to grow and mature, cost of living is rising as well. With economic development now spreading to these lesser known cities, people are beginning to abandon China’s largest cities for the increasingly cosmopolitan regional hubs.

Most of the accompanying construction boom has been exploited by domestic companies, and largely state-owned businesses at that. In 2013, less than 300 construction companies were foreign invested, compared to almost 80,000 domestic ones. Construction and real estate in China is largely a domestic game.

In this issue of China Briefing, we explore the latest trends in commercial real estate in China, and discuss how foreign companies can benefit from China’s massive construction boom. We provide a guide to how firms can sell construction materials in China, and finally detail how foreign architects can most effectively enter and take advantage of China’s rapid urbanization.

Opportunities abound for the discerning company or individual in China’s booming real estate market. With our specialized knowledge of the sector, we at Dezan Shira & Associates look forward to working with interested parties in the future.