Building a green reputation

Wang Shi has been described as China's equivalent of Donald Trump or Sir Richard Branson because of his business nous. Photo / Greg Bowker

China's answer to Donald Trump says New Zealand has a global reputation for building environmentally friendly houses.

Wang Shi is an ex-People's Liberation Army soldier who now leads China's country's biggest house builder, China Vanke.

He was in Auckland yesterday to find out more about eco-friendly residential construction.

"New Zealand has developed excellent 'green' houses," he said." People know Europe, particularly Norway and Sweden, for environmentally sustainable buildings. But that's so remote for China. We can learn something from New Zealand which is so much closer."

Wang, often described as China's equivalent of Donald Trump or Sir Richard Branson for his prominence in business, has capitalised on his country's shift from from communism. Private residential property did not exist in China until the 1980s but has boomed ever since with 5.5 million new houses added in 2007, about four times the United States figure and more than a quarter of the world's new housing stock.

Wang said Vanke had built about 200,000 houses and had a reputation for prospering without having to pay bribes in a country riddled with business corruption.

The son of a military general was credited with changing China and the New York Times last year reported that his business provided something which had been unthinkable for ordinary Chinese: the freedom to choose where and how to live and the chance to accumulate wealth.

Wang was here to speak at the International Sustainable Cities Forum at the Langham Hotel. His topic was carbon emissions and sustainable development strategies at Vanke, a big importer of New Zealand wood.