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Preview for 2014: Urbanization

Updated: 2014-01-15 10:07 (chinadaily.com.cn)

Editor's note: Urbanization is definitely the buzzword of the year, as it is expected to create the biggest domestic demand in the country. China Daily now would like to focus more on how urbanization affects people's everyday lives and how enormous business potential will be created.

A new opportunity for prosperity
International consumer brands have long since identified the importance of the Chinese market. They realized as more rural people moved to the cities, aspiring for a bourgeois lifestyle, the Chinese market could be a lifeblood for their business success, even for their survival.

But most brands have tapped only into first- and some second-tier Chinese cities. A vast number of cities are still largely untapped. [Full Story]

Unilever targets West China's vast market

China to account for 30% of new auto sales

China will overtake US as No 1 consumer

The high cost of moving to a city

Desperate to get rid of the aura of small townsfolk and become integrated into city life, they have a greater willingness to dine in restaurants, shop in department stores, go to the gym and travel, facets of life familiar to native urban residents.

Despite all the consumption potential shown by people like Su, surging housing prices overshadow and restrain it. To own a property of their own, many new city dwellers have to cut down on their daily expenditures. [Full Story]

House price hikes thwart 'China dream'

Real estate a real problem

Urban Chinese find consumer prices too high

Urbanization: Not just building homes

Urbanization has different implications for different property developers. But one thing for sure is that the new type of urbanization is not merely building homes.

Vanke Co Ltd, China's largest developer in terms of market value, for instance, would like to be a more service-based company to better meet different demands from its community residents. [Full Story]

Stable outlook for Chinese developers in 2014

Secondhand housing market sees chill in Dec

Evergrande eyes more consumer goods businesses

Demand for iron ore, steel to rise

Although China's economic growth is slowing down, ongoing urbanization will still strongly support demand for iron ore and steel products for a long time.

"We have confidence in China's iron ore demand because its urbanization requires a large amount of steel products in the coming years," said Neville Power, chief executive officer of Fortescue Metals Group Ltd, the third-biggest iron ore producer in Australia. [Full Story]

Rio Tinto to boost iron ore capacity

China will buy more iron ore in coming months

Resource boom not to go bust due to China

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