Europe is growing ever more popular with wealthy Chinese, partly as countries on the continent's periphery provide incentives to attract investment.

Battered by the global financial crisis, Cyprus is offering residency visas to anyone willing to pony up €300,000 ($405,000). Portugal offers a similar deal for €500,000 ($675,000).

In Greece, which has seen many of its young people depart for northern Europe, just €250,000 ($338,000) in real estate investment will result in a five-year residency permit.

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