China's hot real estate market remains a challenge for authorities trying to maintain stable economic growth in the face of trade tensions with the U.S.
In fact, property is the country's biggest risk in the next 12 months, much greater than the trade war, according to Larry Hu, head of greater China economics at Macquarie. He said he is especially watching whether the real estate market in lower-tier, or smaller, cities will see a downturn in prices or housing starts after recent sharp increases.
Real estate investment accounts for about two-thirds of Chinese household assets, according to wealth manager Noah Holdings. The property market also plays a significant role in local government revenues, bank loans and corporate investment. As a result, a sharp slowdown in the real estate market's growth and drop in prices would have a negative affect on overall economic growth.
However, it's unclear whether a downturn in China's property market would necessarily impact overall growth on the same scale. The public still expects property prices to increase because the government has constantly switched between tightening and easing policies, often to prevent a drop in growth, CEIBS' Sheng said in the report.
Analysts also generally predict authorities will counter tightening measures with stimulus in other parts of the economy such as infrastructure. In the meantime, China's export-reliant economy also faces pressure from U.S. tariffs and rising trade tensions.
Reference: CNBC
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