Property developers in two cities in eastern China have started to cut prices of new homes in a bid to spur sales, raising fresh concerns about the health of the market and sending property stocks sliding Monday.
中国东部两座城市的房地产开发商已开始降价促销，引发了外界对中国房地产市场健康状况的担忧，并导致周一地产股下挫。
Real estate companies said that prices at two big apartment projects in Hangzhou and Changzhou have been cut recently, and analysts said this could be a signal of broader market weakness ahead.
房地产公司称，杭州、常州两个大型楼盘近来大幅降价，分析师认为这可能是今后房地产市场整体走软的一个信号。
This has already begun to push down prices at similar developments in neighboring projects, according to local media.
德信地产(DoThink Group)上周宣布，其位于杭州的楼盘德信北海公园(North Sea Park)从每平米人民币18,000元的均价降至人民币15,800元（约合2,592美元），降价幅度达到12.2%。总部位于杭州的这家房地产开发商称，为了购买更多地块，清空库存，决定从上周三起特惠促销北海公园房源。北海公园项目由12幢高层公寓楼组成，2012年4月开盘后分期销售。
Developer DoThink Group last week said it cut prices by 12.2% at its North Sea Park project in Hangzhou from to 15,800 yuan ($2,592) per square meter from 18,000 yuan per square meter. The Hangzhou-based property developer said as part of its goal to purchase more land and clear inventory, it started discounting apartments at its 12-tower high-rise project on Wednesday, which had been on sale in phases since April 2012.
杭州是二线城市中的大城市，距离上海有大约1小时车程，吸引了浙江省内许多有钱的购房者。分析师们说，杭州楼盘降价促销表明楼市存在供应过剩，未来可能会扩散至更大的城市。
Hangzhou is a large, second-tier city about an hour away from Shanghai that attracts many wealthy home buyers from Zhejiang province. Analysts said the price cuts are an indication that there are oversupply problems which could spread to larger cities.
野村(Nomura)经济学家张智威在写给客户的报告中称，房地产市场的风险没有得到充分重视，常州和杭州的楼盘降价发出了危险信号，值得投资者警惕。
'We believe the risk in the property sector is currently underappreciated, and the price cuts in Changzhou and Hangzhou are worrying signals worth investor attention,' said Nomura economist Zhiwei Zhang in a note to clients.
张智威说，房地产投资可能大幅下滑，这将增加系统性风险。张智威表示，野村对房地产市场更加担心，因为过去五年房地产对中国经济增长的贡献非常大，政府可能没有合适的政策工具来控制当前的局面，即过剩的供应最终引发房价大幅回落，尤其是在三四线城市。
'A sharp slowdown in property investment is possible and would increase systemic risks,' said Mr. Zhang. 'We are more concerned with the property sector, because its contribution to GDP growth has been critically important over the past five years and the government may not have the proper policy tools to manage a situation where oversupply eventually causes property prices to fall, particularly in third- and fourth-tier cities.'
常州是江苏省的一个沿海城市，位于上海和南京之间。常州的潜在购房者还说，他们看到一个高档楼盘在打折。
Prospective home buyers in Changzhou, a city in coastal Jiangsu Province that lies between Shanghai and Nanjing, also said they saw discounts at a luxury property project.
雅居乐地产控股有限公司(Agile Property Holdings Ltd., 简称：雅居乐地产)和星河湾集团(Star River Group)在常州共同开发的一个楼盘上周也宣布打折促销。雅居乐星河湾是一个共有21栋楼的地产项目。房产代理商搜房网(SouFun Holdings Ltd.)的数据显示，雅居乐星河湾平均价格降至每平方米人民币7,000元，部分户型最低售价为每平方米人民币5,380元。该楼盘去年12月份标价为每平方米人民币11,000元。
Agile Property Holdings and Star River Group, which are jointly developing a 21-tower property project, also announced discounts last week. Prices were reduced to an average of 7,000 yuan per square meter, with some units selling for 5,380 yuan per square meter, down from a 11,000 yuan price tag in December last year, according to data from property broker SouFun Holdings.
总部设在广州的雅居乐地产没有回应《华尔街日报》(The Wall Street Journal)记者的提问。
Guangzhou-based Agile Property has yet to respond to queries by The Wall Street Journal.
地产股周一大幅下挫。万科A(China Vanke)收盘跌6.56%，至人民币6.69元。保利地产(Poly Real Estate Group)收盘跌8.51%，至人民币6.77元。上证综合指数收盘跌1.8%，至2076.69点。
Shares of property developers were sharply lower Monday. At midday, shares of China Vanke, the nation's largest property developer by revenue, fell 6.2% to 6.72 yuan, and Poly Real Estate Group skidded 8.2% to 6.79 yuan. The Shanghai Composite Index was down 2.0%.
人们担心银行可能收紧对地产业的放贷，这也加剧了地产股的跌势。
Concerns that banks are reining in lending to the property sector have also fueled the decline.
据《东方早报》(Oriental Morning Post)报道，中型银行兴业银行(Industrial Bank Co.)下发的一份内部文件显示，由于房地产行业风险上升，该行已暂停向地产开发商发放新的贷款。
Industrial Bank Co., a midsize bank in China, has stopped issuing new loans to property developers due to rising risks in the sector, according to the Oriental Morning Post, citing an internal document issued by the bank.
报道还称，兴业银行将严格控制房地产贷款，不过报道援引一名银行管理人士的话说，该措施是暂时的。