'Land kings' signify divergence

Record prices of big cities' plots don't signal a sound housing market

The return of "land kings" - as plots sold at record prices are dubbed in China - has highlighted duality in the property market.

The overall property industry in China has struggled with unsold houses and apartments, but with land prices soaring again in big cities the picture is even more skewed. In smaller cities the glut of units is greater than that in the big cities.