KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 10 (Bernama) -- Malaysian businesses and investors mustfully exploit China's "Go-West" policy which aims to develop Western Chinaas it would create immense trade and investment opportunities, theMinister of International Trade and Industry, Datuk Seri Rafidah Aziz,said Tuesday.To help Malaysian companies in this, MITI will organise a trade andinvestment mission to Xi'an and Chongqing in Western China as well asShanghai from Sept 22-29.

The mission has so far attracted 50 Malaysian companies involved in abroad range of business activities.

Rafidah said that Xi'an and Chongqing are among the top five cities in theWestern provinces identified as having good potential for trade andinvestment.

The Chinese "Go-West" policy also offers providers in design andengineering, property development and housing construction, infrastructureprojects, healthcare, water and waste water management, financial andenvironment related consultancy, education including English language,information technology and computer training institutions.

In Xi'an, 10 percent of the 36.4 million people are Muslims, which offerspotential for Malaysian exporters to market "halal" products in thisregion, she told a media briefing here.

While there, Rafidah would also update the Chinese business community onthe latest Malaysian economic developments during the seminars on"Malaysia-China Business Opportunities in Xi'an and Chongqing.

Besides this, the minister would also launch the Xi'an Top RankInternational College in Xi'an on Sept 23 and the Binary College inFengxian, District of Shanghai on Sept 27, which could serve as thestepping stone for the export of services to China.

Rafidah said Chinese investors were also keen to invest in Malaysia, whichcould be a springboard for the large Asean market with a consumer base inexcess of 530 million people.

Between 1997 and June 2002, 35 projects from China worth RM43.3 millionwere approved in areas such as paper, printing and publishing, basic metalproducts, electric and electronic products, beverages and tobacco.

Rafidah also said that 6th Malaysia-China Joint Economic and TradeCommission Meeting would be held on Sept 16, 2002, which would review theoverall bilateral trade, investment and economic co-operation and discussdevelopments on Asean-China Free Trade Area, World Trade Organisation andAsia Pacific Economic Cooperation (Apec).

Issues related to registration of the Proton trademark in China, palm oiltariff rate quota (ITRQ) adminsitration, value added tax on refined,bleached and deodorised palm oil and processed palm kernel oil, customsvaluation and problems faced by Malaysian investors in China would bediscussed. -- BERNAMA