China targets Australian homes in $5bn move

Treasurer Jim Chalmers in Canberra: Treasury and Foreign Investment Review Board figures showed nearly $5bn in approved purchases by China-based buyers. Australia has become the world’s most sought after residential real estate market outside of Asia for investors from mainland China. New data from global real estate technology group Juwai IQI showed Australia on track to record the highest volume of non-Asia bound inquiries from China-based investors for the third consecutive year. China-based inquiries for residential properties over the first half of the 2026 calendar year were the highest in the world behind only Thailand. Were inquiries to stay at this level, it would mark the third successive year that Australia held this position, with inquiries surpassing those in larger markets like the USA, UK and Japan. Demand for Australian real estate also surpassed some popular markets in Asia where a sizeable number of real estate deals are frequently conducted in Mandarin such as Malaysia and Singapore. Australia’s popularity among China-based buyers comes as US President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping debate trade policy. Picture: Getty Images China-based purchasers ...