Guangzhou Halts Approval of New Commercial Apartment Projects

Guangzhou has frozen the planning and approval of new commercial apartment projects. A memorandum from the Guangzhou Municipal Bureau of Planning and Natural Resources has put a firm halt on any new project, while existing projects with approvals can proceed unaffected.

The crackdown targets a longstanding loophole that allowed the development of residential apartments on land approved only for commercial or service properties. The practice has provided a backdoor for buyers to sidestep home purchase restrictions and benefit from the lower price of commercial apartments compared with residential properties.