Singapore’s safe-haven appeal fuels surge in Chinese capital into property sector

SINGAPORE, May 3 —Mainland Chinese firms have become the second-largest source of fixed-asset investment in Singapore, with their share of the market surging from just 2.5 per cent in 2024 to 21 per cent in 2025, as the city-state’s reputation as a safe-haven destination continues to attract global capital.**

According to a February report from the Singapore Economic Development Board, total fixed-asset investment commitments across all sectors reached S$14.16 billion (RM44.16 billion) last year.

Europe retained the top spot with a steady share of around 25 per cent, while the United States slipped to third place, its share falling sharply from 55.5 per cent to 17.3 per cent.

China-linked developers and business entities have grown increasingly active in Singapore’s property market, said Alan Cheong, executive director for research and consultancy at Savills Singapore.

“Chinese developers who have had experience in Singapore are now familiar with the rules, regulations and market behaviour, and are expected to continue bidding to replenish their landbanks,” Cheong told the South China Morning Post.

Several high-value transactions over the past year underscore the trend:

• At the end of the first quarter of 2026, a nearly 145,500 sq ft lot on Dover Drive was acquired by CNQC Realty (Prime), Forsea Residence and Jianan Realty Investments for S$951 million. The site is expected to yield 625 residential units.
• In April 2025, Kingsford Group, via Kingsford Huray, won a tender for a 222,161 sq ft plot called Lentor Gardens in the Lentor Hills estate for S$429.23 million.
• In November 2025, the same developer picked up a 147,350 sq ft plot on Telok Blangah Road via a tender for S$918.3 million. The two residential sites are expected to yield more than 1,240 units in total.
• In March 2025, SingHaiyi Group and Haiyi Holdings acquired a parcel on Bayshore Road of about 112,992 sq ft for S$658.9 million, expected to yield 515 units.
• Also in March 2025, a group comprising Qingjian Realty, China Communications Construction Company’s unit Forsea Residence and Hoovasun Holding, which is fully owned by Singapore citizen Zhang Song, paid S$315 million for Media Circle (Parcel A), an 82,125 sq ft plot likely to accommodate 345 flats.

Despite the influx of Chinese capital, Singapore has maintained strict cooling measures to keep the property market stable. Since April 2023, foreign buyers face an Additional Buyer’s Stamp Duty (ABSD) of 60 per cent when purchasing residential property. Industry groups have recently called for a calibrated rollback of the rate for ultra-luxury non-landed homes valued at S$10 million and above, arguing that such a move would encourage liquidity without impacting broader affordability.

Private Chinese capital continues to pursue opportunities in Singapore even as institutional Chinese investment recedes, according to a January report from JLL, which has identified Singapore’s prime office sector as a “top pick” for 2026. The report noted that while escalations in global geo-economic headwinds could derail investment mandates, Singapore remains a “safe haven”.

The Economic Development Board’s report also showed that overall fixed-asset investment commitments in Singapore rose 5.2 per cent to S$14.2 billion in 2025, helped by strong demand in the artificial intelligence and electronics sectors.

With global geopolitical tensions persisting and Singapore’s regulatory environment well-understood by Chinese players, analysts expect mainland Chinese investment in the city-state’s property market to continue growing in 2026.