Wanda says $1 billion Gold Coast project on track despite China lending curbs
Chinese property and entertainment giant Dalian Wanda, owned by billionaire Wang Jianlin, said its $1 billion Gold Coast apartment project remains on track despite Beijing asking major banks there to stop lending to the group.
Dalian Wanda is also set to change the Sydney CBDs skyline with a $1 billion dual-tower development in the heart of Circular Quay by 2020.
The penthouse has record-breaking $60 million price hopes.
The One Circular Quay development is close to launching its 190 luxury apartments and a 181-suite five-star hotel is under way, and appears to have secured finance locally, The Australian reported.
Wanda declined to comment on that project.
Last September, the group had asked banks for a $200 million two-year bridge loan for its “No 1 Sydney” project and representatives from state-linked banks attended its launch this year, The Australian reported.
The group secured a $230 million loan to back its purchase of Gold Fields House and Fairfax House in 2016. Wanda Commercial Properties and Wanda Hotel Development teamed up to buy the assets for about $487.7 million and announced plans to invest about $1 billion on the project.
However, the group has come under scrutiny in China.
The Wall Street Journal reported that Chinese regulators had ordered the country’s big banks to put the brakes on loans to Dalian Wanda Group.
The State Council, China’s cabinet, put in place rules restricting outbound Chinese investment in late November, in a bid to prevent money from leaving the country as accelerated outflows put enormous pressure on the Chinese yuan.
As part of the rules, Chinese companies are discouraged from making overseas deals related to real estate and entertainment.
Chinese bank regulators met bank executives on June 20 and advised them that six of Wanda’s foreign acquisitions, including Hollywood producer Legendary Entertainment, were subject to government capital restrictions enacted last year.
Dalian Wanda has also partnered with Ridong Group to develop the beachfront Jewel towers in Surfers Paradise, that will comprise of apartments and a hotel. They are expected to be complete in 2019. More than one third of the apartment space in the $1 billion towers have been sold.
A spokeswoman for the Jewel project said there were “no effects” for the project from the Chinese regulatory decision.
“The Jewel development is a development by Wanda Ridong Gold Coast Development, which is a joint venture with Wanda, established in Australia as a separate entity between Ridong Group and Dalian Wanda, so it doesn’t fall under China’s regulatory jurisdiction,” she said.
