In its latest crackdown, China intensifies focus on real estate

Rising real estate prices have worsened income inequality and the government crackdown aims at avoiding social unrest.

After a years-long campaign to tame property prices, China is upping the ante to break a stubborn cycle of gains that’s made homes increasingly unaffordable. In recent days, China jacked up mortgage rates in a major city, vowed to accelerate the development of government subsidized rental housing, and moved to increase scrutiny on everything from financing of developers and newly-listed home prices to title transfers. Echoing Xi Jinping’s famous words that “housing is for living in and not for speculation,” Vice Premier Han Zheng added that the sector shouldn’t be used as a short-term tool to stimulate the economy. The intensified focus on real estate — an industry that was already under the scanner — mirrors broader crackdowns on businesses such as education that are seen as widening social inequities. As China’s economy slows and President Xi tries to increase the nation’s birth rate, the policies underscore the Communist Party’s growing resolve to respond to mounting dissatisfaction with hoarded wealth and narrowing avenues for advancement.