Foreign investment interest in the mainland property market is on the rise, but investors have shifted their focus from development sites to retail property because of the uncertain market outlook, analysts said.

'We received more inquiries from foreign investors this month,' said Alvin Yip Kwok-ping, the head of the investment department at DTZ in southern China.

However, the targets of those inquiries had changed, Mr Yip said. Joint-venture development projects that were favoured in the past were no longer heading the shopping lists of investors.

South China Morning Post