MNI China Press Digest March 27: Land Sales, U.S., Pensions

Highlights from Chinese press reports on Thursday:

• Hangzhou’s sixth land sale auction of the year sold for an average premium of 52%, with one plot in Binjiang District reaching a transaction floor price of CNY72,915 per square meter, a record high for 2025, Securities Daily reported. According to data from Linping Residential Research Institute, Hangzhou’s transaction volume of new commercial residential buildings reached 3,444 units from March 1 to March 23, up 145% m/m and 34% y/y.
• China’s Vice Premier He Lifeng and U.S. Trade Representative Greer held candid and in-depth talks during a phone call on Wednesday regarding bilateral economic and trade issues, Xinhua news agency reported. China expressed concerns over Washington’s use of fentanyl as grounds to impose tariffs on China. The two sides said that maintaining a stable Sino-U.S. economic and trade relationship was in the interests of both countries and agreed to continue to communicate on issues of mutual concern.
• China should increase the transfer of state-owned capital towards pension funds, given the expected negative worker to pensioner ratio from 2035, said Guo Shuqing, former chairman of the China Banking and Insurance Regulatory Commission, adding pension funds could enter a financial deficit by around 2045. The government needs to improve the surplus funds’ return on investment by significantly raising the proportion of professional entrusted investors and reasonably relaxing restrictions on investing scope, said Guo. (Source: International Financial News)