The Ascott Limited (Ascott), the lodging business unit wholly owned by CapitaLand Investment (CLI), is pleased to announce that Ascott China has entered a 50:50 joint venture with Jin Jiang Hotels (China Region) to advance the asset-light expansion of their respective apartment hotel brands in China, namely Ascott's Quest and Jin Jiang Hotels' TULIP LODJ. Using primarily a franchise model, the joint venture will enable the rapid growth of Quest and TULIP LODJ to meet China's underserved demand for apartment hotels in the upscale and upper midscale segments, while driving long-term investment success for owners. From the outset, the joint venture company will manage two operating properties in Wuhan and one pipeline property in Shenzhen franchised under TULIP LODJ, totalling about 600 units. Plans are underway to broaden the footprint of TULIP LODJ and launch Quest in China by providing opportunities for franchised partnerships.