I think it's the same as the "gentrification" arguement made in the US. The "ultimate" gentrifiers in the US being SF Googelers who move to cheap rural areas. (So to speak, I'm not picking sides here.) What's more gentrifying than literal oil barrens setting up their 8th home in your neighborhood? Don't like it? Just own a hundred billion dollar (or trillion dollar) oil company to compete! Notably, in realtion to the linked article, china does not sell land at all but leases it for 99 years. That is for thier own citizens; I'm not sure if or to what extent foriegners can "buy" land in china at all.