Thought Leadership Series

ARA Alternative Assets & Infrastructure (7 - 13 Oct 2021)

President Xi Jinping’s pledge for China to stop funding overseas coal plants has cast doubt on the fate of nearly 70 coal-fired plants from Indonesia to Vietnam.

ARA Alternative Assets & Infrastructure (23 Sept - 6 Oct 2021)

ESR Australia has paid $17.65 million for a seven hectare Berrinba industrial development site. The block abuts the group’s Gilmore Industrial Estate – which will now be extended. The amalgamated 12ha holding can accommodate about 65,000 square metres of product.

Insight Research (19 Aug - 29 Sept 2021)

China, South Korea, and Australia all set record high transaction volumes, while Hong Kong and Singapore doubled to set the strongest growth regionally.

ARA Alternative Assets & Infrastructure (16 - 22 Sept 2021)

With the expansion of the ‘quick commerce market’, which offers guaranteed delivery within an hour, South Korean firms are employing gas stations as warehouses and logistics hubs.

ARA Alternative Assets & Infrastructure (9 - 15 Sept 2021)

ASCOTT Residence Trust announced last week that it will acquire a student accommodation property in Texas, in the United States, which will be its third student accommodation asset investment this year.

ARA Alternative Assets & Infrastructure (2 - 8 Sept 2021)

Moves to reposition Hong Kong as a key East Asian hub as well as use it as a base to reach out to the global Belt & Road Initiative via establishing low tax overseas trading zones.

ARA Alternative Assets & Infrastructure (26 Aug - 1 Sep 2021)

With universities in reopening mode as the COVID-19 crisis recedes in Britain, Singapore’s Mapletree Investments has taken the opportunity to acquire four purpose-built student housing assets in England for a total consideration exceeding £165 million ($227 million).

ARA Alternative Assets & Infrastructure (12 - 25 Aug 2021)

The fifth generation (5G) technology standard for broadband cellular networks will cover half of Singapore by the end of 2022 and the coverage will envelope the whole island by the close of 2025, Minister for Trade and Industry Gan Kim Yong said on Monday (Aug 23).

Insight Research (8 Jul - 18 Aug 2021)

APAC logistics investment volumes are expected to grow further due to the relatively low allocation towards logistics assets amongst APAC institutional investors.

ARA Alternative Assets & Infrastructure (5 - 11 Aug 2021)

According to figures released by China's General Administration of Customs recently, China exported 3.57 trillion yuan ($551 billion) worth of goods to B&R (Belt & Road Initiative) countries in the first seven months of 2021, up 25.3 percent on a yearly basis. Imports also increased by 25.7 percent to 2.73 trillion yuan. In total, China's trade with B&R rose by 25.5 percent to 6.3 trillion yuan.

ARA Alternative Assets & Infrastructure (29 Jul - 4 Aug 2021)

Financial firms including British insurer Prudential, lenders Citi and HSBC and BlackRock Real Assets are devising plans to speed the closure of Asia's coal-fired power plants in order to lower the biggest source of carbon emissions, five people with knowledge of the initiative said.

ARA Alternative Assets & Infrastructure (22 - 28 Jul 2021)

Asset owners and fund managers intend to invest more into multi-family real estate across Asia and the US, as more young people forced to rent instead of buying expensive houses.

ARA Alternative Assets & Infrastructure (15 - 21 Jul 2021)

For a growing number of Chinese and international investors, elder-care developments like Ardor Gardens are becoming irresistible bets. Money is pouring into the sector amid renewed attention on just how quickly China is aging.

ARA Alternative Assets Infrastructure (1 - 14 Jul 2021)

European Union foreign ministers agreed on Monday (July 12) to launch a global infrastructure plan linking Europe to the world, its latest step after deals with India and Japan and a similar pledge by the Group of Seven (G-7) richest democracies.

Insight Research (27 May - 7 Jul 2021)

While the risk of inflation is expected to be transitory, it could be sustained by an increase in price expectations, elevated public debt, and policies by central banks.

ARA Alternative Assets & Infrastructure (24 - 30 Jun 2021)

Singapore-based Princeton Digital Group (PDG), backed by private equity firm Warburg Pincus, said on Tuesday it was investing $1 billion to build a data centre facility in Japan, marking the company's foray into its fifth market.

ARA Alternative Assets & Infrastructure (17 - 23 Jun 2021)

A plan by the Group of Seven nations to counter Beijing's Belt and Road Initiative has been welcomed by countries in China's immediate orbit of influence but will need to overcome doubts about Western commitment to emerging market projects.

ARA Alternative Assets & Infrastructure (10 -16 Jun 2021)

The Group of Seven richest democracies on Saturday (Jun 12) sought to counter China's growing influence by offering developing nations an infrastructure plan that would rival President Xi Jinping's multi-trillion-dollar Belt and Road initiative.

ARA Alternative Assets & Infrastructure (3 - 9 Jun 2021)

Self-storage is emerging as one of the fastest growing pockets of Australia’s industrial and logistics market, fuelled by a culture of consumerism, e-commerce growth and shrinking living spaces. Investor demand for self storage has been robust through the pandemic, with market leaders National Storage REIT and Abacus scooping up 30 self-storage facilities between them in the 2020 financial year.

ARA Alternative Assets & Infrastructure (20 May - 2 Jun 2021)

Dozens of China-backed and funded projects in Africa, most of them developed as part of Beijing's Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), continue to face intense backlash from communities and environmentalists who accuse the developers of destroying ecosystems in pursuit of commodities like oil, metal and timber.

Insight Research (15 Apr - 26 May 2021)

92% of respondents indicated that they were confident in longer-term growth of global consumer and retail businesses.

ARA Alternative Assets & Infrastructure (13 - 19 May 2021)

GDS Holdings is considering acquiring GLP's data centre business as the Chinese cloud computing company seeks to expand its digital infrastructure capacity in the world's second-largest economy, according to people familiar with the matter.

ARA Alternative Assets & Infrastructure (6 - 12 May 2021)

The Morrison government will allocate more than $4bn to infrastructure projects in Tuesday night’s federal budget as part of efforts to lock in economic recovery after the pandemic and drive down unemployment.

ARA Alternative Assets & Infrastructure (29 Apr - 5 May 2021)

Cubico Sustainable Investments has partnered with natural resources and energy business Peel NRE to develop onshore wind and solar photovoltaic (PV) projects in the UK.

ARA Alternative Assets & Infrastructure (22 - 28 Apr 2021)

Singapore-listed ARA Logos Logistics Trust is slimming its Australian portfolio with the divestment of an ageing warehouse property in a suburb west of Adelaide.

ARA Alternative Assets & Infrastructure (8 - 21 Apr 2021)

Logistics specialist Logos is getting some heavyweight backing for a new development venture in Australia, as the firm announced today that it has partnered with KKR and Abu Dhabi’s Mubadala Investment Company to take on a development project in Queensland state as an initial undertaking for the combined entity.

Insight Research (4 Mar - 14 Apr 2021)

According to a recent report by CBRE, China's new 14th Five-Year Plan is likely to have significant implications for the country’s real estate market.

ARA Alternative Assets & Infrastructure (1 - 7 Apr 2021)

THE SINGAPOREAN government, through Infrastructure Asia, is in talks with local government units (LGUs), Public-Private Partnership (PPP) Center, and Development Bank of the Philippines (DBP) for infrastructure projects. Read

ARA Alternative Assets & Infrastructure (25 - 31 Mar 2021)

Thai transportation authorities and Chinese construction corporations signed a construction agreement for the first phase of the Thailand-China High Speed Rail on Monday, a new step forward for the long-awaited rail project that could link the two Asian countries.

ARA Alternative Assets & Infrastructure (18 - 24 Mar 2021)

Diplomatic relations between China and Botswana have grown significantly this year, with the African nation becoming the 46th country on the continent to sign a memorandum of understanding on the China-proposed Belt and Road Initiative.

ARA Alternative Assets & Infrastructure (11 - 17 Mar 2021)

AMAZON has signed an agreement with Singapore solar energy provider Sunseap Group, marking its first renewable energy project in the Republic.

ARA Alternative Assets & Infrastructure (25 Feb - 10 Mar 2021)

Logos Property Group is continuing to ramp up its regional portfolio as the ARA Asset Management-backed developer seeks to add a Blackstone-owned logistics portfolio to recent acquisitions in Sydney and Singapore.

Insight Research (21 Jan - 3 Mar 2021)

98% of investors globally are looking to grow their portfolios with 60% aiming for double digit percentage increases.

ARA Alternative Assets & Infrastructure (18 - 24 Feb 2021)

The two sides, Xi said, firmly support each other on issues concerning their respective core interests, have achieved fruitful results in Belt and Road cooperation, and have carried out close coordination and cooperation in international affairs.

ARA Alternative Assets & Infrastructure (11 - 17 Feb 2021)

Beijing to invest 1.3 trillion yuan in key projects. The infrastructure projects cover transportation, energy, water supply, waste disposal, and other fields.

ARA Alternative Assets & Infrastructure (4 - 10 Feb 2021)

Canadian Power Holdings, a wholly owned unit of Hong Kong-based CK Group, has agreed to buy two wind farms in British Columbia, the company said on Thursday, its first purchase of a Canadian renewables project.

ARA Alternative Assets & Infrastructure (28 Jan - 3 Feb 2021)

China is set to lay the final stretch of a cross-border fiber optic cable in Pakistan that will create the Digital Silk Road, serving the geostrategic interests of both countries. It will connect to a submarine cable in the Arabian Sea to service countries participating in China's Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) and Europe.

ARA Alternative Assets & Infrastructure 14 - 27 Jan 2021

Logos SE Asia, part of the Logos Group, has agreed to take up 3.75m shares valued at RM296.7m (€60m) in Global Vision Logistics (GVL), a Malaysian company. Singapore-listed Aspen Property, which owns a 30% stake in GVL, said in a statement that, post-subscription, Logos would hold around 60% of the issued and paid-up capital of GVL.

ARA Alternative Assets & Infrastructure (7 - 13 Jan 2021)

It’s an often-misunderstood housing type, but it’s now being tipped as likely to be one of the biggest commercial asset hits of 2021.

ARA Alternative Assets & Infrastructure (17 Dec 2020 - 6 Jan 2021)

The board, which managed nearly $359 billion in assets as of 30 September, is investing $200 million of that hoard into the new initiative, which aims to develop new warehouses in the Greater Jakarta area to help support the growth of online shopping in Indonesia, according to the joint announcement by the two organisations.

ARA Alternative Assets & Infrastructure (10 - 16 Dec 2020)

Real estate companies are accelerating digitalization as developers step up efforts to improve efficiency while seeking new opportunities under an ever-prevalent trend to transform themselves into integrated services providers, according to a report.

ARA Alternative Assets & Infrastructure (3 - 9 Dec 2020)

The activists had said the deal between Sabana Reit and ESR-Reit, whose managers are both owned by a unit of Asian logistics giant ESR Cayman, had undervalued Sabana Reit.

ARA Alternative Assets & Infrastructure (19 Nov - 2 Dec 2020)

Taiwan and the United States are moving ahead with a plan to finance infrastructure and energy projects in Asia and Latin America, using capital raised from the private sector to ensure greater transparency, Minister Su Jain-rong said in an interview on Wednesday (Nov 25) in Taipei.

Insight Research (24 Sep - 25 Nov 2020)

According to a recent report by CBRE, the retail sector will see at least 3 key shifts over the coming decade that landlords will need to adapt to.

ARA Alternative Assets & Infrastructure (5 - 18 Nov)

To quell stiff opposition to the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, or CPEC, a linchpin of Chinese President Xi Jinping's Belt and Road Initiative, Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan's government is launching a big development package for southern Balochistan Province in the country's southwest.

ARA Alternative Assets & Infrastructure (5 - 18 Nov 2020)

To quell stiff opposition to the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, or CPEC, a linchpin of Chinese President Xi Jinping's Belt and Road Initiative, Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan's government is launching a big development package for southern Balochistan Province in the country's southwest.

ARA Alternative Assets & Infrastructure (8 - 14 Oct 2020)

The Australian groups, which have partnered previously on a residential projects across the US, have secured a prominent waterfront site in Brooklyn, and will now move ahead with plans for a $1 billion build-to-rent project.

ARA Alternative Assets & Infrastructure (1 - 7 Oct 2020)

Premier Daniel Andrews directly courted some of China's biggest Belt and Road Initiative companies, including one subsequently blacklisted by the US government, to help build Victoria's huge pipeline of infrastructure projects including his signature Suburban Rail Loop.

ARA Alternative Assets & Infrastructure (17 - 30 Sep 2020)

EQT Real Estate said the venture has secured five projects with an aggregate of 361 homes from Countryside Properties.

Insight Research (13 Aug - 23 Sep 2020)

According to a recent report by JLL, Asia Pacific’s (“APAC”) logistics sector has remained resilient during COVID-19 thanks to an increase in short-term demand from grocery retailers and health services companies.

ARA Alternative Assets & Infrastructure (3 - 9 Sep 2020)

Real estate private equity firm Gaw Capital Partners has announced the closing of fundraising for its internet data centre (IDC) platform that aims to invest in projects in partnership with IDC developers and operators in China.

ARA Alternative Assets & Infrastructure (27 Aug - 2 Sep 2020)

The Singapore government has cut the development charge (DC) rates for commercial, non-landed residential, hotel/hospital, and industrial use groups for the period Sept 1, 2020 to Feb 28, 2021.

ARA Alternative Assets & Infrastructure (20 - 26 Aug 2020)

Pakistani Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi is expected to visit Beijing this week to discuss the next steps in cooperation on the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), a US$62 billion project under China’s Belt and Road Initiative.

ARA Alternative Assets & Infrastructure (6 - 19 Aug 2020)

A major warehouse facility under construction in Surrey is not just paving the way for more trade between B.C. and China. It could be helping pave Chinese President Xi Jinping’s Belt and Road Initiative to Canada.

Insight Research (4 Jul - 12 Aug 2020)

Based on a recent Savills report, Australia is set to see more investment opportunities in the co-living and residential build-to-rent (“BTR”) sectors due to three drivers.

ARA Alternative Assets & Infrastructure (30 Jul - 5 Aug 2020)

The NSW government has halved land tax payments for build-to-rent development projects in order to spur construction and change the way people view renting.

ARA Alternative Assets & Infrastructure (23 - 29 Jul 2020)

Trade and Industry Minister Chan Chun Sing and vice-chairman of the National Development and Reform Commission of China Ning Jizhe affirmed the deep economic ties that Singapore and China share.

ARA Alternative Assets & Infrastructure (16 - 22 Jul 2020)

As part of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), the nations signed deals on June 25 and July 6 for two hydro-power generation projects in disputed Kashmir worth $3.9 billion.

ARA Alternative Assets & Infrastructure (9 - 15 Jul 2020)

China-invested industrial parks in Belt and Road countries may face new challenges under macroeconomic uncertainty, but new trends could open a fresh chapter for their future development, according to a latest Ernst & Young study.

ARA Alternative Assets & Infrastructure (25 Jun - 8 Jul 2020)

The venture will focus on Japan, Australia, Singapore, Hong Kong, and China, and seek core investment opportunities across office, logistics, multi-family, and student housing sectors.

Insight Research (21 May - 3 Jul 2020)

According to a recent global market sentiment survey by Savills, certain real estate markets are starting to recover.

ARA Alternative Assets & Infrastructure (18 - 24 Jun 2020)

Trade Minister Simon Birmingham has left the door open to Australia partnering with China on infrastructure projects in other countries under an agreement it signed with Beijing covering the controversial Belt and Road Initiative.

ARA Alternative Assets & Infrastructure (11- 17 Jun 2020)

New Zealand and China are still hashing out plans to work together on the controversial Belt and Road Initiative, even as Chinese President Xi Jinping’s flagship foreign policy initiative has come under threat due to the coronavirus pandemic.

ARA Alternative Assets & Infrastructure (4- 10 Jun 2020)

When shareholders of Romanian nuclear firm Nuclearelectrica meet next week in Bucharest, it is expected to be the end of years of talks for a landmark infrastructure deal with China.

ARA Alternative Assets & Infrastructure (28 May- 3 Jun 2020)

Victoria’s secretive agreement with China - part of its controversial Belt and Road Initiative - has come under scrutiny this week after the US threatened to “disconnect” from Australia if the deal threatened telecommunications.

ARA Alternative Assets & Infrastructure (14 - 27 May 2020)

An Australian state is continuing with its plans to participate in China’s signature infrastructure drive regardless of opposition from Canberra, amid growing divisions between state and federal leaders over how to handle relations with Beijing.

Insight Research (9 Apr - 20 May 2020)

The COVID-19 pandemic has been a boon for Internet Data Centers ("IDC") demand as it forced many in China to rely on the internet for work, education, leisure, and essential services.

ARA Alternative Assets & Infrastructure (7 - 13 May 2020)

The deal reflects ARA Group’s forward-looking take on fintech and the role of real estate digitalisation in the future economy as the company seeks to expand the alternative finance platform to meet the growing demand for crowdfunding, ARA said in a statement.

ARA Alternative Assets & Infrastructure (30 Apr - 6 May 2020)

China has received a wave of applications for debt relief from crisis-hit countries included in the “Belt and Road Initiative” as coronavirus strains the world’s biggest development programme.

ARA Alternative Assets & Infrastructure (23 - 29 Apr 2020)

Japan’s Government Pension Investment Fund is considering investing in emerging-markets infrastructure and is looking for relevant investment managers. The ¥158trn (€1.35trn) pension fund has issued a request for information and said it is considering appointing a specialist fund-of-funds manager as part of its global infrastructure strategy.

ARA Alternative Assets & Infrastructure (16 - 22 Apr 2020)

Even as retail, commercial and hospitality properties struggle, shares in Keppel DC REIT, the island’s largest landlord of data centres by market value, have recouped most of their March losses.

ARA Alternative Assets & Infrastructure (2 - 15 Apr 2020)

The Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) has approved a RMB2.49bn (€324m) loan to support China’s public health infrastructure. The China-backed bank said the outbreak of COVID-19 triggered China’s urgent financial need for support in strengthening its capacity in epidemic prevention and control.

Inside APF Research (27 Feb - 8 Apr 2020)

According to a recent report by JLL, the COVID-19 outbreak will create significant economic uncertainty and prompt governments around the globe to implement unprecedented easing policy measures.

ARA Alternative Assets & Infrastructure (26 Mar to 1 Apr 2020)

While the COVID-19 epidemic has spread out of China along the routes of the Belt and Road (BRI), those same corridors, ports and logistics hubs are now being used to provide medical support to partner countries in need as Beijing attempts to position itself as a global leader in healthcare—a move which Chinese President Xi Jinping calls the “Health Silk Road.”

ARA Alternative Assets & Infrastructure (19 - 25 Mar 2020)

China is extending efforts to engage with Belt and Road Initiative nations over the coronavirus outbreak that has disrupted its connectivity strategy. As the first country to respond to requests for help from Italy and Serbia in handling their coronavirus cases, China has sensed a propaganda victory.

ARA Alternative Assets & Infrastructure (12 - 18 Mar 2020)

India and the US may not have signed the elusive limited trade deal during the visit of US President Donald Trump last month, but Washington was able to ask New Delhi to participate in the Blue Dot Network (BDN), an initiative under the quadrilateral mechanism that seeks to build and finance quality infrastructure projects.

ARA Alternative Assets & Infrastructure (5 - 11 Mar 2020)

Trilateral partnerships between China, the destination country and third-party investors are helping to balance Chinese investment with additional risk mitigation and quality assurance.

ARA Alternative Assets & Infrastructure (20 Feb - 4 Mar 2020)

The bank will provide low-cost financing, special foreign exchange liquidity loans for companies involved in Beijing’s massive infrastructure project.

Inside APF Research (16 Jan - 26 Feb 2020)

According to a recent survey by Colliers, the ongoing outbreak of the novel coronavirus (“COVID-19”) is slated to impose some negative impact on the Chinese economy and its real estate markets.

ARA Alternative Assets & Infrastructure (13 - 19 Feb 2020)

An influx of Chinese that some Cambodians resented for bringing noise, dust and chaos to the port of Sihanoukville, is the cause of more pain now that it has gone into reverse.

ARA Alternative Assets & Infrastructure (6 - 12 Feb 2020)

China’s path to economic dominance in the 21st century runs directly through the Middle East, with Beijing banking on forging multibillion-dollar partnerships with Iraq, Pakistan and even war-torn Syria to provide fuel in its quest to supplant the U.S. as the world’s top power.

ARA Alternative Assets & Infrastructure (23 Jan - 5 Feb 2020)

Fears of the new coronavirus spreading to Pakistan have delayed a few projects in the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, a key component of China's Belt and Road Initiative, in Lahore and South Punjab.

ARA Alternative Assets & Infrastructure (9 - 22 Jan 2020)

During the 11-month period, Chinese companies also signed new project contracts worth $127.7 billion in 61 countries along the BRI routes, the statement said, adding that project turnover stood at $74.6 billion.

Inside APF Research (5 Dec 2019- 15 Jan 2020)

According to a recent report by Cushman & Wakefield, trends in three key demographic groups will have a significant impact on global real estate markets in the coming decade.

ARA Alternative Assets & Infrastructure (19 Dec - 8 Jan 2019)

Chinese companies have poured nearly $11 billion into overseas ports during the past decade, gaining access to strategic maritime hubs as part of its Belt and Road initiative.

ARA Alternative Assets & Infrastructure (12 - 18 Dec 2019)

Pakistan has bowed to pressure from China to revive a string of Beijing-backed infrastructure projects that have run aground, appointing a senior Pakistani military official to streamline decision-making over the multi-billion-dollar investments.

ARA Alternative Assets & Infrastructure (28 Nov - 11 Dec 2019)

China’s State Councilor Wang Yi told Myanmar’s State Counselor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi on Saturday that China was willing to work with Myanmar to promote the China-Myanmar Economic Corridor (CMEC) “from conceptual planning” to the construction of a “landmark project”.

Inside APF Research (24 Oct - 4 Dec 2019)

Global investor demand for APAC real estate is likely to remain strong on the back of the rapid urbanization and rising middle-class.

ARA Alternative Assets & Infrastructure (21 - 27 Nov 2019)

The U.S., Japan and Australia unveiled the Blue Dot Network at a summit in Bangkok earlier this month. The initiative is not intended to be a financing pipeline.

ARA Alternative Assets & Infrastructure (14 - 20 Nov 2019)

In Greece, in Egypt and in France, top Chinese officials promoted the Belt and Road Initiative this week, defying U.S. skepticism toward the infrastructure-building program, and making clear their intent to expand its footprint in Europe.

ARA Alternative Assets & Infrastructure (7 - 13 Nov 2019)

Australia joined the United States and Japan in announcing the Blue Dot Network this week, a scheme some observers have billed as a rival to China's Belt and Road Initiative.

ARA Alternative Assets & Infrastructure (31 Oct - 6 Nov 2019)

The Chinese vice minister of commerce announced that the country would establish new pilot project Free Trade Zones (FTZs) in six provinces across the country.

ARA Alternative Assets & Infrastructure (17 - 30 Oct 2019)

While Australia’s federal government has cast a critical eye on Chinese investment...

Inside APF Research (12 Sep - 23 Oct 2019)

Based on a recent report by JLL, growth of the self-storage sector in the Asia Pacific (“APAC”) region is likely to create promising investment opportunities.

ARA Alternative Assets & Infrastructure (10 - 16 Oct 2019)

Pakistan's government has bypassed the legislature and used presidential ordinances to establish a powerful new authority to accelerate the major Belt and Road project known as the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor.

ARA Alternative Assets & Infrastructure (3 - 9 Oct 2019)

A recent decision by the Myanmar military, or Tatmadaw, not to extend a cease-fire aimed at ethnic armed organizations excluded from a nationwide peace agreement puts the country's Belt and Road projects in further limbo.

ARA Alternative Assets & Infrastructure (26 Sep - 2 Oct 2019)

Speaking in Brussels on Friday, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said the world’s third-biggest economy would work with the EU to strengthen their transport, energy and digital ties to Africa and the Balkans – key regions for China’s flagship trade and development project.

ARA Alternative Assets & Infrastructure (19 - 25 Sep 2019)

Chinese contractors took in nearly a quarter of international construction revenue last year, a rise directly linked to Beijing's Belt and Road infrastructure projects in the developing world.

ARA Alternative Assets & Infrastructure (5 - 18 Sep 2019)

Philippine Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez lauded China's Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) on Monday, calling it "the single largest enterprise in human history" that will bring the Asian economies closer together.

Inside APF Research (1 Aug - 11 Sep 2019)

Based on a report by Knight Frank, co-living is expected to gather more momentum in Asia Pacific (“APAC”). Opportunities in each city will largely depend on their competitive advantages and constraints.

ARA Alternative Assets & Infrastructure (29 Aug - 4 Sep 2019)

Despite the acceptance of the initiative by an increasing number of economies, its implementation is facing new challenges.

ARA Alternative Assets & Infrastructure (22 - 28 Aug 2019)

China will establish new pilot free trade zones (FTZs) in six provinces across the country, extending strategic trials to border regions to help improve trade ties with neighbouring countries and expand the reach of the Belt and Road Initiative.

ARA Alternative Assets & Infrastructure (15 - 21 Aug 2019)

Vietnam, Singapore and Indonesia are seen as the markets in Asean and South Asia with the most opportunities related to China's Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), according to a survey by the Singapore Business Federation (SBF) and PwC Singapore.

ARA Alternative Assets & Infrastructure (8 - 14 Aug 2019)

The recent launch of a direct flight between Guwahati in northeast India and Dhaka in Bangladesh shines a light on India's Act East Policy, which aims to improve connectivity -- and relationships -- between India and its eastern neighbors, including the ASEAN countries. That this comes as China increases its influence in the region through the Belt and Road Initiative should not surprise anyone.

ARA Alternative Assets & Infrastructure (25 July - 7 Aug 2019)

Chinese equity investment in solar, wind and coal power projects in Belt and Road countries has surged from 2014 to 2019, with planned capacity up more than tenfold compared to the previous five-year period, environmental group Greenpeace said.

Inside APF Research (20 Jun - 31 Jul 2019)

Based on a recent report by Colliers, Hong Kong’s Island East area comprising North Point and Quarry Bay has high upside potential due to two significant strengths.

ARA Alternative Assets & Infrastructure (18 - 24 July 2019)

Top officials from Hong Kong and the Chinese mainland vowed on Friday to make concerted efforts to foster collaboration on policy exchanges and capacity building related to China’s Belt and Road Initiative.

ARA Alternative Assets & Infrastructure (11 - 17 July 2019)

China, Middle East and North African joint efforts to push forward cooperation on the Belt and Road has reached notable achievements, showing great potential and broad prospect. More efforts will also be made to promote cooperation between the two sides covering low-carbon energy, finance and high technologies.

ARA Alternative Assets & Infrastructure (4 - 10 July 2019)

Indonesia has not been among the biggest beneficiaries of China’s trillion-dollar push to create a modern-day Silk Road. Indonesia says this is because it has insisted any loan within the BRI framework is done on a business-to-business basis to avoid exposing the government in case of default.

ARA Alternative Assets & Infrastructure (27 Jun - 3 Jul 2019)

Less than 4 per cent of the maximum solar potential of the region could meet the Belt and Road Initiative's electricity demand for 2030. It would require an investment of $11.2 trillion and 88,426 square kilometers of area to achieve the goal. The report said that the mismatch between potential and demand highlights the merits of regional cooperation.

ARA Alternative Assets & Infrastructure (13 - 26 Jun 2019)

China and the UK to foster new highlights in financial cooperation and improve global economic governance to inject new vitality into their bilateral relations. Both sides produced 69 mutually beneficial outcomes and signed cooperation documents on third-party market cooperation, financial services and other areas.

Inside APF Research (9 May - 19 Jun 2019)

Based on a report by Savills, Japan’s sound fundamentals and defensive nature have become more appealing in the current stage of the global economic cycle. Osaka is particularly promising given its growth drivers and capital investments ahead of the World Expo in 2025.

ARA Alternative Assets & Infrastructure (6 - 12 Jun 2019)

It is hard to overstate the significance of the recent agreement between India and Japan to help Sri Lanka develop its Colombo Port. Both the timing of the deal and its terms are conspicuous.

ARA Alternative Assets & Infrastructure (30 May - 5 Jun 2019)

A planned light-railway system that was the most high-profile project in Kazakhstan of China’s Belt and Road infrastructure program has hit a wall. Kazakh officials now say they will have to borrow domestically to complete the work.

ARA Alternative Assets & Infrastructure (23 - 29 May 2019)

The Centre for Economic Business Research (CEBR) estimates that the BRI would give a surge in cash of more than $10bn a year to 56 nations by 2040, with Britain standing to gain the seventh-most of any country in the world. The GDP of western Europe as a whole is likely to be boosted around five per cent as a result of the Chinese plan.

ARA Alternative Assets & Infrastructure (16 - 22 May 2019)

The governments of Japan, India and Sri Lanka have agreed to develop a container terminal at the Port of Colombo, which has attracted major investment from China under its Belt and Road initiative, a Japanese newspaper reported.

ARA Alternative Assets & Infrastructure (4 - 15 May 2019)

Nearly six years have passed since China set in motion the Belt and Road Initiative in 2013, seeking to create a massive economic zone linking itself to Europe by land and sea. Although it got off to a slow start, more and more countries, drawn by the promise of Chinese money, are getting on board.

Inside APF Research (28 Mar - 8 May 2019)

According to a recent study by JLL, demand for co-living in the Asia Pacific (“APAC”) is slated to rise on three primary drivers.

ARA Alternative Assets & Infrastructure (25 Apr - 3 May 2019)

Southeast Asia’s largest economy, which grew at 5.2 per cent last year, is aiming to channel belt and road investments into four “economic corridors” – North Sumatra, North Kalimantan, North Sulawesi and Bali – to tie in with Indonesian president Joko Widodo’s “Global Maritime Fulcrum” vision.

ARA Alternative Assets & Infrastructure (18 - 24 Apr 2019)

Chinese President Xi Jinping’s grand Belt and Road Initiative is getting a makeover to tone down government rhetoric and tighten oversight, after allegations of corruption and a lack of sustainability dogged some of its highest-profile projects.

ARA Alternative Assets & Infrastructure (11 - 17 Apr 2019)

The prime minister’s office said constructing the first two phases of the rail link would now cost 44 billion ringgit (US$10.7 billion), down from the original cost of 65.5 billion ringgit.

ARA Alternative Assets & Infrastructure (4 - 10 Apr 2019)

One of the people said the National Development and Reform Commission, or NDRC, is working on a list of legitimate Belt and Road Initiative projects officially acknowledged by the Chinese government. It would include both state-owned enterprises and private companies, helping authorities improve regulation of projects, the person said.

ARA Alternative Assets & Infrastructure (21 Mar - 3 Apr 2019)

France and China signed deals worth billions of euros on Monday, including a huge Airbus plane order, during a visit by Chinese President Xi Jinping, despite Paris pushing back against Beijing's "Belt and Road" infrastructure initiative.

ARA Alternative Assets & Infrastructure (14 - 20 Mar 2019)

An Italian official said last week that Rome would sign a non-binding memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Beijing to officially support Mr Xi's massive US$1 trillion (S$1.35 trillion) Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), also known as the New Silk Road.

ARA Alternative Assets & Infrastructure (7 to 13 Mar 2019)

Xi is due to travel to Italy from March 22-24 and Conte said Rome and Beijing were looking to agree to a framework deal during the state visit, despite reports that the United States is concerned at the prospect of a key ally joining the venture.

ARA Alternative Assets & Infrastructure (28 Feb - 6 Mar 2019)

As China celebrates the fifth anniversary of its Belt and Road Initiative, South Asia has clearly emerged as a “priority zone” in the Chinese scheme, particularly, with the highest density of early harvest projects.

ARA Alternative Assets & Infrastructure (21 - 27 Feb 2019)

"If the price is right then we will continue, but at the moment we have not agreed on the price," said Dr Mahathir. He said Malaysia hoped to spend less money on the project, as it was too costly for the country at the moment.

ARA Alternative Assets & Infrastructure (7 - 20 Feb 2019)

In addition to the building of infrastructure and energy projects along inland and marine trade routes, Beijing proposed setting up intercontinental underwater optical cables and improving satellite information networks to further cement those ties with other developing nations.

Inside APF Research (30 Jan - 13 Feb 2019)

According to a recent report by CBRE, many Asian countries are stepping up to address environmental challenges. This has spurred the introduction of incentives to encourage the construction of more green buildings. Essentially, there are three drivers that will increase investor commitment to green buildings across the region.

ARA Alternative Assets & Infrastructure (17 - 30 Jan 2019)

Geopolitics cannot be divorced from China's ambitious Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), but the mega project will create plenty of economic opportunities and growth for countries, said panellists at a World Economic Forum discussion in Davos yesterday.

ARA Alternative Assets & Infrastructure (3 to 16 Jan 2019)

China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) which aims to address global infrastructure gaps and boost economic growth is forecasted to continue its important role in driving infrastructure growth in developing economies in Asia, according to a report by Fitch Solutions.

Inside APF Research (27 Dec 2018 - 9 Jan 2019)

Based on a report by JLL, Queensland’s economy is recovering from its mining-led recession, which is set to benefit its property markets. Noticeably, the recent growth has been mainly driven by the tourism and education sectors on the back of a weaker Australian dollar. With the continued rise in infrastructure spending, Queensland’s tourism sector should further grow.

ARA Alternative Assets & Infrastructure (6 - 18 Dec 2018)

An analysis of data compiled by the American Enterprise Institute, a Washington-based think tank, found a widening disparity between the amounts committed in investment to Belt and Road projects and those signed off for construction contracts related to the initiative, many of which are handed out to Chinese state-owned companies.

Inside APF Research (29 Nov - 12 Dec 2018)

According to a recent report by Savills, the healthcare sector, particularly the senior housing market, will likely become a favourable long-term investment product in Japan. As yields in traditional asset classes continue to tighten, investors are exploring this new sector.

Alternative Assets & Infrastructure News (22 Nov to 5 Dec 2018)

ARA buys portfolio of 38 select-service Hyatt Hotels in maiden US foray.

Inside APF Research (15 - 28 Nov 2018)

According to a recent report by Colliers, Tongzhou will likely welcome 400,000 to 500,000 residents from downtown Beijing by 2035, amid the historic relocation of Beijing’s municipal government. Backed by supportive policies, Tongzhou is set to develop into a premier emerging office and retail market.

ARA Alternative Assets & Infrastructure (8 - 21 Nov 2018)

China approves $8.3 billion airport expansion in Xinjiang, key hub in Belt and Road Initiative. Construction will run through 2030 when the expanded airport is expected to handle 63 million passengers and 750,000 tonnes of cargo a year, the National Development and Reform Commission said in a statement.

Inside APF Research (1 - 14 Nov 2018)

According to RICS’s 3Q2018 Global Commercial Property Monitor, real estate sentiment around the world has generally remained positive, in spite of the emergence of some market risks.

ARA Alternative Assets & Infrastructure (25 Oct to 7 Nov 2018)

Victoria, Australia’s second-most populous state, has signed on to join Beijing’s bid to build trade corridors linking China to Europe, Asia and Africa, a first for an Australian government.

Inside APF Research (18 Oct to 31 Oct 2018)

The World Economic Forum recently published the 2018 Global Competitiveness Index (“GCI”), painting an overall positive picture for APAC. Notably, it adopted a new methodology to reflect productivity elements and technological changes where 64 out of 98 indicators are new, e.g., entrepreneurial culture, companies embracing disruptive ideas, critical thinking, etc.

ARA Alternative Assets & Infrastructure (11 - 24 Oct 2018)

“When China comes calling, it’s not always to the good of your citizens,” Pompeo said on Thursday, addressing reporters in Mexico City after a meeting with Panamanian President Juan Carlos Varela.

Inside APF Research (4 Oct to 17 Oct 2018)

In a recent publication, Aviva Investors highlights three major global demographic trends - the ageing population, rising migration, and booming tourism, all of which carry significant implications for the future of real estate investment.

ARA Alternative Assets & Infrastructure (27 Sep - 10 Oct 2018)

The U.S. is boosting its foreign development funding to counter China's effort to expand its sphere of influence in Asia and Africa through the Belt and Road infrastructure initiative.

Inside APF Research (20 Sep - 3 Oct, 2018)

Based on a recent report by JLL, the US co-working space in retail properties is forecast to expand at 25% per annum through 2023 to reach 3.4 mil sq ft.

ARA Alternative Assets & Infrastructure (13 Sep - 26 Sep 2018)

The head of the US government’s international finance development agency has stepped up criticism of China’s overseas investment strategy, dismissing Beijing’s efforts to give it greater legitimacy by partnering with other countries on infrastructure projects and accusing China of being “in it to grab their assets”.

Inside APF Research (6 Sep - 19 Sep 2018)

According to a recent report by Marcus & Millichap, the booming US E-commerce industry has led to a growing customer demand for more rapid and efficient goods delivery. However, constrained by the lack of capacity to handle the surging E-commerce sales, total logistics costs particularly transportation costs spiked markedly, posting a threat of higher prices to customers.

Alternative Assets & Infrastructure News (30 Aug - 12 Sep 2018)

Chinese officials on Monday defended Beijing's initiative to build a "New Silk Road" of railways and other infrastructure across Asia against complaints it leaves host countries with too much debt after Malaysia canceled two high-profile projects.

Inside APF Research (23 Aug - 5 Sep 2018)

According to a recent report by JLL, alternative real estate is bound to gain further momentum over the next decade in Australia, driven by scant and pricey core real estate stock, favourable market fundamentals, as well as the weight of capital still eager for Australian real estate exposure.

ARA Alternative Assets & Infrastructure (16 - 29 Aug 2018)

Build, baby, build. Infrastructure spending in China is heating up again. But this time, the government wants help. Public private partnerships, or PPP, in which private firms co-invest with local governments to build and operate public facilities, are making a comeback.

Inside APF Research (9 - 22 Aug 2018)

A recent report by Investa examined the main impacts that a global trade war could have on Australia’s office markets. In the face of a trade war, slower global growth could drag office demand and net absorption. The Australian office market, however, is unlikely to be heavily affected in the short term.

ARA Alternative Assets & Infrastructure (2 - 14 Aug 2018)

China on Tuesday dismissed concerns that a new infrastructure investment initiative announced by the United States for the Indo-Pacific region will diminish its own international connectivity plan known as the “Belt and Road Initiative”.

Inside APF Research (26 Jul - 8 Aug 2018)

According to a recent report by JLL, the Asia-Pacific flexible space market has been growing at a rapid rate. During 2014-2017, the sector achieved a compounded annual growth rate of 35.7%, higher than that of the US (25.7%) and Europe (21.6%) over the same period.

ARA Alternative Assets & Infrastructure (19 Jul - 1 Aug 2018)

Australia is teaming up the United States and Japan to set up a regional infrastructure scheme to rival China's massive Belt and Road Initiative.

Inside APF Research (12 July - 25 July 2018)

According to a recent Savills report, Tokyo has been experiencing notable structural changes in its demographic landscape. This is expected to strengthen the attractiveness of its real estate markets.

ARA Alternative Assets & Infrastructure (05 July - 18 July 2018)

The project owner of Malaysia's US$20 billion (S$27 billion) East Coast Rail Link has told its main Chinese contractor to suspend work, both companies said yesterday, raising uncertainty about the future of part of China's Belt and Road plan.

Inside APF Research (28 June - 11 July 2018)

According to CBRE, private hospital real estate investments in Australia have historically been a strong performer and its outlook remains favorable.

ARA Alternative Assets & Infrastructure (21 June - 04 July 2018)

A surge in the number of trains over the past year, fueled by Beijing’s plans to grow trade along ancient Silk Road routes to Europe, has left (Malaszewicze) authorities scrambling to meet demand that has ballooned to as many as 200 locomotives a month.

Inside APF Research (14 June - 27 June 2018)

According to a report by Cushman & Wakefield, co-working in Greater China is one of the fastest growing demand drivers for office space.

ARA Alternative Assets & Infrastructure (07 June - 20 June 2018)

Myanmar's State Counselor Aung San Suu Kyi met with Chinese State Councilor and Defense Minister Wei Fenghe in Nay Pyi Taw on bilateral relations.

Inside APF Research (31 May - 13 June 2018)

According to a recent Colliers report, Asia is facing a massive demographic shift as
the region’s senior population (aged 65 and above) will be tripling to 945mil by 2050. Beyond its implications on healthcare and infrastructure, this wave of ‘silver tsunami’ is also unleashing new opportunities for the real estate sector.

Inside APF Research (19 May - 30 May)

According to a recent JLL report, an upcoming amendment in the Employment Act 1955 (“Act 265”), will spark new demands for the workers’ accommodation market in Malaysia as the government plans to make the provision of foreign workers’ accommodation compulsory across all sectors.

ARA Alternative Assets & Infrastructure (24 May - 06 June 2018)

Malaysia is haggling over the terms of a $14 billion rail deal with its Chinese partners and can reduce its ballooning national debts by $50bn by doing away with mega projects, its prime minister said in an interview published on Saturday.

ARA Alternative Assets & Infrastructure (10 May - 23 May 2018)

China's President Xi Jinping promises that his Belt and Road Initiative, a sweeping vision to put China at the center of the global economy through new infrastructure, trade deals and other connections, was a "plan in the sunshine." But make no mistake, the BRI's outlook is darkening. Critics -- including some of Beijing's actual and potential partners -- are raising concerns about transparency, debt sustainability and usefulness, as well as questioning China's underlying strategic aims.

Inside APF Research (04 May - 18 May 2018)

In its recent office market outlook report, Investa focused on three themes, namely, the uptick in commercial office construction, the two-speed Australian CBD office markets, and robust capital market performance in the face of recent financial market turmoil.

ARA Alternative Assets & Infrastructure (26 Apr- 9 May, 2018)

Beijing has been making inroads into Europe with its ‘Belt and Road Initiative’ but Brussels is working on an alternative.

Inside APF Research (19 Apr - 03 May, 2018)

A recent report by JLL charts the rise and development of 12 Chinese key urban
centres, which are believed to be at the forefront of China’s structural reform and home to a growing cluster of energetic, tech-savvy businesses.

ARA Alternative Assets & Infrastructure (11 - 25 Apr, 2018)

The former president of Export-Import Bank of China warn that debt levels in host nations are far above recognised safety levels, and say more needs to be done to attract private investors.

Inside APF Research (05 - 18 Apr, 2018)

According to a recent report by JLL, investors continue to buy into alternative sectors, ranging from data center, student housing, aged care, and self-storage, to hospitality.

Inside APF Research (22 Mar 2018 - 04 Apr 2018)

As the global economic environment continues to improve, interest rates in major economies are bound to increase, leading to upward pressure on the cost of capital and capitalization rates.

ARA Alternative Assets & Infrastructure (29 Mar - 10 Apr, 2018)

China Exchanges Services Company Limited (CESC) hosted a media conference and investment forum where it announced the key findings of its Report on Participation in Belt and Road Initiative by Listed Companies Tradable under Stock Connect (the Report) and the CES Belt and Road Index.

ARA Alternative Assets & Infrastructure (15 - 28 Mar, 2018)

Scheduled to be finished this year, the 2,280-meters bridge connects Tongjiang city in Heilongjiang Province to Nizhneleninskoye in Russia.

Inside APF Research (23 Feb - 21 Mar, 2018)

Based on JLL’s city momentum index 2018 taking socioeconomic and real estate momentum into account, Singapore has strong short-term momentum and possesses the necessary features for long-term success.

ARA Alternative Assets & Infrastructure (1 - 14 Mar, 2018)

A Belt and Road research centre is set to open in Forest City in Gelang Patah, Johor, in partnership with Shenzhen University.

ARA Alternative Assets & Infrastructure (15 - 28 Feb, 2018)

The city of Quanzhou was the eastern terminus of the historical sea trade route between China, the Middle East and Europe. Looking around, it’s not hard to see that it was shaped by multicultural openness and religious tolerance.

Inside APF Research (8 - 22 Feb, 2018)

In the digital era, the expectations of shoppers are evolving rapidly and profoundly, calling for different retail experiences and for retailer and shopping centers to reinvent themselves. While technology is altering consumer behavior and retail business models, the drivers

ARA Alternative Assets & Infrastructure (31 Jan - 14 Feb, 2018)

Washington is considering boostinginfrastructure projects in the Indo-Pacific to counter Beijing’s growing global clout through its “Belt and Road Initiative”, observers say, after last month’s Congress hearing on a policy response to the plan.

Inside APF Research (25 Jan - 7 Feb, 2018)

According to CBRE, approximately USD53 bil of private equity capital is expected to pump into APAC real estate by 2020. China, Japan, and Australia will be the top three recipients of capital deployed in the next three years.

ARA Alternative Assets & Infrastructure (17- 30 Jan, 2018)

The first official Belt and Road bond in China's domestic market has introduced a new financing instrument for the massive infrastructure initiative but offered few advantages for the issuer.

ARA Alternative Assets & Infrastructure (3-16 Jan, 2018)

China welcomed the European Union's plan to connect China's Belt and Road Initiative with its own interconnection plan for the Eurasian continent.

ARA Alternative Assets & Infrastructure (6 - 20 Dec, 2017)

China Telecom Global and Chinese data center operator Daily-Tech have teamed up with major data center developer Global Switch to open Global Switch's new HKD 5 billion (SGD 860 million) data center in Tseung Kwan O.

ARA Alternative Assets & Infrastructure (22 Nov - 5 Dec, 2017)

China Life Insurance Group is focusing on infrastructure, especially in the U.S. and Europe, and technologies and products with the growth potential in China to justify high valuations, according to Wan Yiqing, deputy chief executive of the 3.4 trillion yuan ($515 billion) insurer’s alternative investment arm.

ARA Alternative Assets & Infrastructure (11 - 21 Nov, 2017)

A record 250-strong delegation of Japanese business and entrepreneurial heavyweights left Tokyo for Beijing on Monday, kicking off their annual China visit. The Belt and Road Initiative, which Japanese media said the country's companies are increasingly keen on, will be on the delegation's agenda.

ARA Alternative Assets & Infrastructure (25 Oct - 10 Nov, 2017)

APEC Business Advisory Council (ABAC) sees that China’s Belt and Road Initiative is important for the region’s infrastructure development, according to an official of ABAC on Monday in Da Nang, Vietnam.

ARA Alternative Assets & Infrastructure (11 - 24 Oct, 2017)

Stressing that it was important for India to join the Belt and Road Initiative, China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs has said that it is willing to engage in “in-depth communication” to address India's concerns.

ARA Alternative Assets & Infrastructure (27 Sep - 10 Oct, 2017)

The Trump administration threw its weight behind India's opposition to the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, saying it passes through a disputed territory and no country should put itself into a position of dictating the Belt and Road initiative.

ARA Alternative Assets & Infrastructure (13 - 26 Sep, 2017)

The countries of Europe and Asia are increasingly integrating together economically, logistically and politically via China's Belt and Road Initiative and the various other endeavours of the broader New Silk Road, opening the gateway for a paradigm-shifting renaissance of technological innovation across the region.

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