Foreign capital is dipping its toes into China’s property sector. Is a rebound in store?

International capital is circling China’s property sector, testing valuations and chasing returns after years of strain

Several Wanda Plazas – the sprawling mixed-use developments that were once the flagship assets of tycoon Wang Jianlin’s Dalian Wanda Group – received fresh capital injections from global asset manager PAG in June and July.

The cash-strapped developer has been forced to offload properties to repay debt. Such deals, alongside a pickup in property transactions in mainland China’s top cities this year, have drawn growing market attention.

“For global funds with a strategic allocation to China, the current market opens up opportunities to acquire high-quality assets at significantly more attractive pricing than in recent years,” said James Macdonald, head of research for China at property consultancy Savills.

“Investors are not necessarily calling the bottom. Rather, many believe valuations have adjusted sufficiently to offer a more favourable risk-adjusted return profile.”