As China's property market slumps, foreign investors get pickier

HONG KONG/SINGAPORE -- Foreign investors are shying away from deploying capital to commercial properties in China's beleaguered real estate market, with the remaining players pinning their hopes on niche strategies in areas such as environmentally friendly developments.

"We have seen some concerns, particularly from the U.S.-based real estate investors," Christine Li, head of research for APAC at real estate consultancy Knight Frank, told Nikkei Asia. "Five to seven years down the road, whether you can find a buyer to exit the Chinese market, is a big question mark."