Real estate investment up

Investment in China's property sector soared to US$190 billion in the
first eight months of the year, 29% up from the same period last year, Xinhua reported (in Chinese). Seventy-one percent, or US$135 billion, of total investment during the period went to commercial properties, while 29% went to affordable housing. By the end of August, China had 119 million square meters of vacant buildings, down 2% over the same period last year.