Lured by the great market potential in China's western areas, Kimberly-Clark, one of the world's leading producers of paper tissue and personal care products, aims to build Chengdu, capital of southwest China's Sichuan Province, into an operations centre which will act as a springboard for the company in the broader western region.

Evaluation work to expand its business in the west is already under way, said Tom Hayward, chief executive officer of the Kimberly-Clark (China) Investment Co.

"The Chinese market is unprecedented in Asia and the world in terms of growth," he said. "There are opportunities both for multinational and local manufacturers."

The company has established nine well-performing subsidiaries in cities or areas such as Beijing, Shanghai and the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region.

Recalling K-C's development in China since 1994, Hayward said he was quite amazed at the changes.