HK bankers’ uneasy dance with property tycoons

Dwindling numbers: People shopping in Tsim Sha Tsui, a bustling shopping hotspot, in Hong Kong. The country’s central business district’s office vacancy is at a record high. — Reuters

HONG KONG dazzles with its soaring skyscrapers and swanky shopping malls, and the city has its bankers to thank.

Over the years, landlords routinely relied on banks to finance ambitious projects and expected good relationships to remain. But lenders are getting nervous.