Why wealthy Chinese are quietly buying up property in these 7 surprising countries

There’s an old belief that when the Chinese rich start buying up property, you follow the money. You follow it to Vancouver. Sydney. Singapore. London. The usual suspects.

But lately, something else is happening—something that doesn’t quite fit the old narrative. Behind the scenes, with far less fanfare than before, wealthy Chinese investors have been quietly buying up real estate in countries that barely registered on the radar five years ago. Places with volatile currencies. Places with geopolitical tensions. Places that, on paper, don’t scream “safe haven.”

And yet the deals are happening. Because this new wave isn’t just about diversifying wealth—it’s about hedging against a very different kind of future. For many high-net-worth individuals in China, traditional safe havens are increasingly inaccessible. Heightened capital controls, scrutiny of outbound transfers, and growing diplomatic tensions have pushed them to think differently—not just about where their money goes, but what kind of future they want to buy into.

Here are seven surprising countries where wealthy Chinese are making strategic property moves—and why.

1. United Arab Emirates (Dubai)

It’s not shocking that Dubai appeals to the ultra-rich. But it is surprising just how quickly Chinese investors have become major players in its property scene. According to Dao Insights, Chinese buyers now make up the fourth-largest group of foreign real estate investors in the city, responsible for 8% of all transactions in 2024.

Dubai has always had the glitz, but now it has something more: long-term residency programs, an increasingly diversified economy, and a reputation for neutrality. For Chinese investors navigating an uncertain geopolitical landscape, Dubai offers a rare trifecta—luxury, mobility, and plausible deniability. You’re not moving to the West. You’re not moving to a risky frontier. You’re moving to a global business hub that doesn’t ask too many questions.

And while it used to be seen as transient—a place for quick deals and stopovers—there’s a shift in how Chinese families are viewing the emirate. More are enrolling children in local international schools, setting up businesses, and planning longer stays. What looks like a luxury real estate spree is, in many cases, the first step toward soft migration.

2. United Kingdom

Post-Brexit, with increasing scrutiny of Chinese tech and investments, you’d think interest would wane. But Chinese buyers aren’t leaving—they’re just moving inland. While London remains a draw, many are now turning to areas like Manchester and Dagenham, where growth potential and yield outweigh prestige.

The Times recently highlighted how overseas interest in British property remains robust, with Chinese buyers undeterred by political rhetoric. There’s an irony in this. As Britain becomes more closed-off politically, its real estate market is becoming even more international, with Chinese capital among the quiet constants.

Why? Because Britain still offers what many emerging markets can’t: legal certainty, a well-regarded education system, and global prestige. For wealthy Chinese families aiming to get their children into top-tier universities—or simply hedge against regional instability—owning property in the UK still has enormous symbolic and practical value. But the focus has shifted from flashy Mayfair apartments to smart, mid-market investments with long-term rental yields.

3. Hungary

If you want to understand China’s long game, look at Hungary. Budapest isn’t exactly a household name in Chinese real estate circles—but it’s becoming one. Hungary is part of the Belt and Road Initiative, offers visa-free access for Chinese nationals, and has one of the lowest corporate tax rates in Europe.

According to China Briefing, Hungary is attracting Chinese investment across sectors—from battery plants to tech infrastructure—and that’s spilling into real estate. Buying property here isn’t about vacation homes; it’s about strategic proximity to Europe’s core, at a discount.

Budapest apartments are relatively cheap compared to Paris or Vienna, and Hungary’s government is actively courting Chinese investors. It’s a calculated move: leverage commercial investments into long-term influence. And for individuals, it’s a way to buy into the EU without dealing with Western Europe’s bureaucracy and high entry costs.

4. Türkiye

Türkiye’s real estate market is not for the faint-hearted. The lira is unstable. Inflation is high. And the political scene is anything but predictable. Which makes it all the more surprising that wealthy Chinese investors are stepping in.

But Türkiye offers something most EU countries don’t: citizenship by investment, fast. And it straddles three continents—Europe, Asia, and the Middle East—making it a geopolitical keystone. As reported by China Briefing, Türkiye is part of a broader Chinese strategy to invest in emerging markets with long-term upside and short-term vulnerability. The property play here is more like a futures bet than a savings plan.

There’s also something deeply pragmatic about it. In a world where the lines between East and West are blurring, Türkiye offers something few places can: neutrality with upside. The country’s growing influence in the Middle East and Central Asia makes it a strategic waypoint for Chinese wealth—especially for those seeking second citizenship and a bolt-hole outside traditional power blocs.

5. Morocco

What does Morocco have that’s drawing in Chinese capital? According to China Briefing, it’s access to Africa, a booming renewable energy sector, and an emerging automotive hub. Real estate investments—especially in Casablanca and Tangier—are quietly rising.

China sees Morocco as a bridge—between Europe, Africa, and the Arab world. Major infrastructure investments like the Tangier Tech City have helped normalize large-scale Chinese presence in the country. And now that corporate presence is spilling over into residential real estate.

For individual investors, it’s still early-stage. But those in the know are buying land and development-ready properties with the expectation that Morocco’s strategic location and growing energy relevance will pay off. It’s the type of place you invest in not because it’s stable—but because the future is tilting in its direction.

6. Malaysia

Malaysia has a complicated relationship with Chinese investment. Projects like Forest City became politically toxic. Yet individual Chinese buyers haven’t backed off. They’re still coming in, especially via the Malaysia My Second Home (MM2H) visa scheme—which, despite being tightened, remains attractive for long-term stays.

What’s surprising is how persistent this interest is. Malaysia offers cultural familiarity, English fluency, and relatively affordable real estate. Even amid pushback and economic slowdown, the underlying appeal hasn’t faded. Chinese investors are playing the long game here, waiting for Malaysia’s political pendulum to swing back toward openness.

There’s also the proximity factor—Malaysia is just a short flight from many Chinese cities. For those who want a base in Southeast Asia that doesn’t feel like a geopolitical gamble, Malaysia checks a lot of boxes. It’s not just about condos in KL anymore—it’s about land in Penang, bungalows in Johor, and waterfront properties where lifestyle meets strategy.

7. Indonesia

Indonesia is building a new capital city from scratch—Nusantara—and Chinese investors are showing up. In fact, a Chinese hotel group was the first foreign investor in the project, a bold move considering the project’s uncertainty and delays.

But that’s exactly what makes it interesting. Chinese real estate bets in Indonesia are counterintuitive. The country is hard to navigate bureaucratically, often overlooked by the Western investor class, and prone to infrastructure delays. But it’s massive. And growing. For those willing to brave the chaos, the upside is significant.

In a post-Western investment landscape, Indonesia offers something rare: demographic momentum, resource wealth, and an openness to infrastructure partnerships with China. For investors with patience and appetite for risk, the new capital project is symbolic of a broader shift—China’s willingness to co-create the next economic centers of gravity rather than merely buy into old ones.

The bigger picture

What ties all these countries together isn’t obvious. They’re not all economically stable. They don’t all offer strong legal protection. Some of them are flat-out risky.

But that’s the point. The old logic—of only buying in safe, developed, Western markets—is fraying. These property moves reflect a deeper shift. Chinese investors aren’t just seeking returns. They’re seeking optionality. Citizenship. Access. Strategic diversification in a world that feels more fractured by the year.

They’re also navigating a new kind of status game. One that’s not about flashing wealth in Paris or Manhattan, but about securing footholds in the global south, hedging bets across systems, and staying two steps ahead of policy shifts back home. In many ways, this is wealth behaving like water—flowing around obstacles, avoiding friction, seeping into new cracks in the global order.

Call it geopolitical hedging. Or just pragmatic foresight. But either way, the quiet wave of property buying tells a story not just of wealth, but of how the wealthy are now thinking about the future. And it’s a very different story from five years ago.