FTA with S. Korea one step nearer completion

China and South Korea on Wednesday initialed a bilateral free trade agreement as both sides are hoping to increase trade, according to a press release from China's Ministry of Commerce.

Australia imposes fees on foreign property buyers

Chinese and other foreign nationals buying residential real estate in Australia face additional fees as the government in Canberra seeks to curb soaring property prices and illegal home buying.

Shrinking land sales cast financial shadow on local govts

Local governments sold much less land for real estate development last year as the property sector hit a rough patch, casting a shadow over their financial condition.

Battle of the real estate brokerages pits physical vs virtual

Traditional brick-and-mortar property brokerages have entrenched flaws in how they do business, as their rivals in the Internet industry rightly point out, but replacement is not on the horizon either, reports Zheng Yangpeng.

Pigeon prices fly high on China demand

To most city dwellers, pigeons are vermin. Gourmands might contend that they can make a nice lunch. But pay more than 100,000 euros ($113,400) for a pigeon?

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Governments and policies

Quotes of the day

Year of the Ram leads to spending binge among consumers

Xiang Nan, a mother who hails from Nanjing, Jiangsu province, spent the Spring Festival holiday in Beijing, where her family dined at a famous Peking Duck restaurant and visited popular tourist sites and shopping centers.

Concerns over short selling weigh heavily on stock market

Starting next week, overseas investors will be allowed to engage in short selling on a total of 414 stocks listed in Shanghai through the Shanghai-Hong Kong Stock Connect - a trading arrangement that allows mainland and Hong Kong investors to trade shares in each other's markets.

Giant oil company merger reports unconfirmed

Shares in China Petroleum and Chemical Corp, often referred to as Sinopec, rose 3.4 percent on Wednesday - the first trading day after the Spring Festival holiday - after rumors the company was about to be merged with PetroChina Co Ltd, the country's largest oil and gas producer.

Anbang buys Manhattan office tower

Anbang Insurance Group Co Ltd has bought an office building in New York City, reportedly for between $400 million and $500 million, in one of Manhattan's most desirable areas, according to real estate executives.

Fuzhou-based Yonghui completes stake sale to Dairy Farm to fund expansions

Yonghui Superstores Co Ltd, the Fuzhou-based supermarket chain and one of China's Fortune 500 companies, has completed the sale of 5.7 billion yuan ($912 million) worth of shares, around 20 percent, to Dairy Farm International Holdings Ltd to fund various expansions including the setting up of an e-commerce platform.