China recently passed a ban on the building of new skyscrapers that are over 500 meters tall, leading to new buildings being cut short at 499 meters to make sure they fall within regulations.
But why?
Is it because the Chinese government is worried about earthquakes?
Is it because they are worried about shoddy construction?
Or is it because they are worried about Ponzi schemes in which real estate developers build new structures for investors, and then pay off older investors by attracting new investors for other buildings that haven't yet been built... and they still manage to make a profit because they are cutting corners on construction costs, which in turn contributes to shoddy construction and increases the risk of more damages if a big earthquake ever hits the region?
Honestly... probably "All of the above."
And even those buildings that are below 500 meters are now being reviewed for earthquake safety and energy efficiency.
Lastly the Chinese government also wants to make certain that the architects "better represent Chinese culture"... which is code for 'the architect has to be Chinese'. No hiring American or Japanese architects for example.
So clearly something is up.
China has been building up a huge real estate bubble for decades now and it is doomed to burst sometime.
It is quite possible that the Chinese government is now working to prevent such a bursting bubble by toning down the construction with more red tape and regulations.
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