New home prices rebound in major Chinese cities

BEIJING - The average new home price in 100 major Chinese cities continued to rebound in October from September, marking the fifth consecutive month of month-on-month recovery, according to data released by the China Index Academy on Thursday.

The average new home price in 100 surveyed cities rose to 8,768 yuan ($1,392) per square meter in October, up 0.17 percent from September, the private housing research institution said in its latest report.

But on a more precise basis, more cities saw housing prices decline in October, as 42 cities reported lower prices for new homes, compared with 38 in September, said the report.

The median price for new homes in those 100 major Chinese cities, which is believed to be more accurate in measuring the property market, added 0.86 percent from September to 5,850 yuan per square meter in October.

Still, the price recovery for five straight months was not enough to send the housing market back to the levels recorded in the same period of last year, as average new home prices have slumped for seven consecutive months on a year-on-year basis.

New home prices in 10 first-tier cities such as Beijing and Shanghai went up 0.33 percent to 15,625 yuan per square meter in October from September, but were still 0.6 percent lower than that of the same period last year, the report said.

The warming of the housing market in China came after the central bank cut benchmark interest rates and banks' reserve requirement ratio earlier this year to buoy the slowing economy.

The Chinese government has repeatedly reiterated its firm stance on property market control and vowed to keep in place measures such as bans on third-home purchases and property tax trials introduced since 2010.