I genuinely don’t know and would prefer getting perspectives from Lemmy rather than just reading generic facts. (Sorry if this seems lazy!)

I ask because China is communist, and sometimes I am afraid of some policies in China, like lack of free speech or free press. But I also think poverty and homelessness are a great evil and don’t know to what extent China has stopped this.

  • starlinguk@lemmy.world
    8·
    2 days ago

    China introduced the “Homes are for living, not for investment” act a while ago. It’s significantly reduced the rents. Buying a place and renting it out isn’t really profitable anymore.

    So no, the property market isn’t capitalistic.

    • ShittyBeatlesFCPres@lemmy.worldEnglish
      2·
      1 day ago

      Thanks for the correction. “Capitalistic” was a poor word choice. I meant it as “sort of capitalist” rather than “fully capitalist.” Market-based but with Chinese characteristics, I guess? Capitalistish?

      Some friends lived/worked there when we were younger — in college, they focused on China and I focused on Europe/Econ — so I’d visit and talk to them about their housing situations but they weren’t speculators or anything. I didn’t know about the “homes are for living, not for investment” act. (You won’t believe this about a Lemmy user but I’m a software engineer and science/tech nerd. So, at this point, I mostly follow their space program and tech industry. All my other knowledge is based on personal experience or what friends told me and is definitely a bit outdated.)