It was built under a contractual agreement that came to be known as Build-Operate-Transfer, a means of building and operating joint ventures with local authorities in China.
This arrangement allowed a foreign partner to build a facility at its own expense, operated it for an agreed length of time to generate a return on its investment, then hand it over to a local partner at no cost.
The 4-star, 1,200 room hotel that pioneered this arrangement was at the time the largest and most modern hotel in mainland China. Located in the commercial district, China Hotel is a popular choice to business travelers.