The Shanghai Advanced Institute of Finance convened the eighth China Real Estate Financial Forum on January 23, gathering industry leaders to examine the sector's transformation from expansion-driven growth to asset optimization. Under the theme "Integration and Breakthrough," participants explored how coordinated approaches to assets, capital, and funding can overcome traditional constraints.
In his opening remarks, SAIF Executive Dean Shijun Cheng characterized China's real estate market as undergoing structural adjustment toward quality-focused development. The forum, co-organized by the SAIF MBA Real Estate Finance Club with support from CITIC Securities and Guangzhou Yingyue, featured keynote addresses and panel discussions on commercial real estate investment trusts and distressed asset restructuring.
SAIF Affiliate Professor Ping Lian projected that the market may reach a turning point in 2026, despite persistent inventory challenges and weak demand. He noted that policy measures easing purchase restrictions in major cities and supporting affordable housing could stabilize key indicators.
Junfeng Li, former Chairman of China Great Wall Asset Management, outlined how asset management companies can enhance value through participation in state-owned enterprise reforms and bankruptcy restructuring.
The summit included specialized panels on commercial REITs development and non-performing asset resolution. Yu Zhang, Executive Head of Research at CICC, discussed how China's expanding REIT market enables developers to reduce leverage while providing investors new opportunities in a low-rate environment. A separate session, chaired by Professor Hong Yan, examined strategies for balancing stakeholder interests in corporate restructuring, featuring perspectives from investment firms, legal practitioners, and asset managers.
