China is the most attractive construction market in the world, according to the RICS.
In a survey conducted by the institution's European Construction Economics Research Unit at Reading University, the densely populated Asian nation is the country most targeted by global construction outfits.

The survey, of 500 leading figures in the international construction industry, rates Shanghai the most attractive city for construction opportunities for the sixth year running, followed by Beijing.

China also leads the way, along with Germany, in the global export of construction materials.

The Asian construction market is still the focus of worldwide attention despite the problems following the region's financial collapse in 1998.

After China, the most attractive building markets are the USA, Russia, the UK, Germany, Poland, South Africa and Japan.

After Shanghai and Beijing, the most attractive cities are Moscow, London, Berlin, Hong Kong, Singapore and San Francisco.