[shiroiuma]

>Concrete construction is the common way to build in China (and anywhere in Asia sans Japan)

Concrete-reinforced steel is absolutely common here in Japan. Wood is used for single-family homes, though, but anything larger is generally concrete+steel.

>but the techniques they use require a bit of overbuilding and limit their towers to around 34 or so stories.

Modern condo towers around me here in Tokyo are frequently 50 stories AFAICT. And that's with extremely strict building codes for earthquake protection. I can't tell you about the stairs though, as I don't live in one.

[seanmcdirmid]

I was in Tokyo recently and didn’t see much talk building growth m, maybe I didn’t go to the right neighborhoods.

China leveraged construction techniques that use unskilled and lower skilled migrant labor, so building height is limited. Other countries that import Chinese and Indian to build (like Singapore) get similar limitations.