Nearly two years ago I highlighted the city of Ordos, China and how it appeared local municipalities and investors were building an empty city with no hope of a positive return on investment.
Fast forward to present day and the same reporter made a return visit to see what has changed. While there have been a few people moving in, residential construction continues at the usual Chinese breakneck pace. The new video show the same empty boulevards but with more skyscrapers being built in the background.
(direct link to Youtube video)
Melissa Chan provides more details in here blog entry
She interviewed the same person, Mr. Chovanec, as last time and he provides the reasons why supposedly rational people would invest in an empty city and expect a positive return. Mr. Chovanec provides more examples of bubble behavior in China in a recent blog entry titled This is What a Bubble Looks Like
China's response to the Great Financial Crisis of 2008 was to tell the banks to lend, and they did. The resulting excessive credit growth just exacerbated the already imbalanced situation brewing in their country. When the next monetary event comes with Greece's default I will not be around (metaphorically) to see if they will be able to 'fix' the problem again.
Google maps link to Ordos
No comments:
Post a Comment