Investors pour into London market

Chinese investment is pouring into London's commercial property at an unprecedented rate, according to realtor CBRE, which said there was 2.72 billion pounds ($3.52 billion) of investment in the first quarter of 2017, a sixfold increase year-on-year.

Flagship deals, such as CC Land's purchase in March of London's Leadenhall Building for 1.15 billion pounds, boosted the figures. Smaller deals of 100 million pounds and more also grew in number. Guangzhou's R&F Properties bought Vauxhall Square in April for 158 million pounds, and China Estates purchased 11-12 St James's Square for 175 million pounds.

Chris Brett, CBRE's head of international capital markets, said deals in the pipeline involving Chinese investors, especially those in Hong Kong, were "at an all-time high" .