Liang Wengen, tops the Forbes 2011 China?Rich List released on Thursday. [File photo]

Machinery tycoon Liang Wengen, co-founder of machinery company Sany Group, took the top spot on Forbes'2011 China Rich List, released Thursday, as the world's economic recovery remained sluggish.

In second and third place were Robin Li, chairman of China's largest search engine provider Baidu Inc., and Liu Yongxing, chairman of East Hope Group, China's biggest animal feed producer.

A similar list released Wednesday by the China-based Hurun Report also crowned Liang as China's richest man.

Despite a governmental crackdown on the housing market over the past year, real estate-related sectors remain the main source of wealth for China's billionaires. More than half of the 30 richest Chinese on the list have property interests.

Liu Yonghao, chairman of New Hope Group, a conglomerate involved in everything from agribusiness to real estate, came in the fourth place in the rankings with US$6.6 billion. Evergrande Real Estate Group chairman Xu Jiayin and Longfor Properties chairwoman Wu Yajun ranked sixth and seventh with wealth of US$6.2 billion yuan and US$5.9 billion.

Due to a building spree, Sany Group has the most employees of any company on the list.

China's business press carried the story above on Friday.