(Yicai Global) Dec. 1 -- China’s booming technology, media and telecom sector has driven up demand for office leasing, resulting in the occupancy rate of the country’s main tech centers reaching an eight-year high in the third quarter, according to a recent report.

Strong leasing demand saw the T25 China Tech District Rental Index, which monitors 25 technology and innovation centers across the country, rise 0.9 percent in the three months ended Sept. 30 from the same period last year to 146.5, The Paper reported yesterday, citing a survey by US real estate services firm CBRE.

The overall vacancy rate fell 4.5 percentage points in the third quarter year on year to 14.4 percent, the lowest since 2013, according to the report. In the previous quarter the vacancy rate was 15.6 percent. Fourteen out of the 25 centers polled increased their rents from the previous quarter and five of them started charging record high rates.

The TMT sector contributed 30 percent of the office leasing market in China in the three months ended Sept. 30 and 34 percent during the year, said Xie Chen, head of research at CBRE China. The recent crackdown on extracurricular classes did have an impact on online education firms but it had little impact on the premium office property market, he added.

Editor: Kim Taylor