Property prices climbing in major cities

Property prices in the country's 70 large and medium cities rose by 7.1 percent on a yearly basis last month despite the government's efforts to cool down the market, the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) said yesterday.

The growth rate, the highest since 2006, contributed to the strong economy, experts said.

"China's sizzling property market is closely linked with the overall economy," said Anna M Kalifa, head of the research department at Jones Lang LaSalle Beijing.