China is Australia’s biggest foreign real estate investor, receiving approximately A$24.5bn worth of approvals for investment in Australian residential and commercial property in 2015 alone.
For Chinese nationals there are two overarching factors that are encouraging outflows of capital. Firstly, the general sentiment in China that the Renminbi will continue to depreciate, which is creating an impetus to expatriate funds. Secondly, a deep-seated concern that the Chinese system is not transparent or fair and that political instability may at any time threaten the accumulated wealth of Chinese companies and individuals. Investing in Australian real estate is therefore considered a value-protecting strategy.
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