Hong Kong landlords accuse banks of deepening shop slump with reluctance to lend

Hong Kong landlords and property industry figures are accusing banks of deepening the city’s shop slump by pulling back from commercial mortgages, leaving more potential buyers unable to secure financing even though property values have fallen sharply. Shop buyers were increasingly being turned away, even though Hong Kong’s residential market had gained momentum this year and banks were competing for mortgage borrowers, they said. Shih Wing-ching, founder of Centaline Property, said banks tended...