China’s real estate market remained strong in the first half of the year on healthy housing demand, despite government market controls and slowing growth, The Wall Street Journal reported. Data released by the National Bureau of Statistics on Monday showed that total property investment in the first half of the year rose 20.3%, compared to US$599.3 billion a year earlier. Residential and commercial property sales totaled US$553 billion between January and June, up 43.2% compared to a year earlier. The growth comes despite the Chinese government’s continuing campaign to manage real estate prices amid fears of a property bubble.