Red tape, business culture and land tenure are among the top complaints of Malaysian investors operating in China, Rafidah Aziz, minister of international trade and industry said today.

"There are a host of problems - land tenure, bureaucracy and business culture," she told reporters ahead of an Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) economic ministers' four-day meeting in Brunei starting tomorrow.

"China is a very big country. Sometimes there are differences in the way the bureaucracy works in different provinces. All these leads to operational problems. They may be small problems but needless they are problems," Rafidah said.

Last year, Malaysia emerged as the 18th largest investor in China.

Rafidah is set to lead a trade mission comprising businessmen and government officials to China's western provinces of Xi'an, Chongqing and Shanghai from Sept 22 to 29.

She said the economic delegation would promote Malaysian exports of latex surgical gloves, palm oil products, automotive components and timber products.

Rafidah said Malaysian businessmen would explore business opportunities in the construction, property development and education sectors.

Springboard into Asean

During the tour, Chinese investors would be briefed of business and trade potential in Malaysia and the rest of Southeast Asia, she said.

"They can use Malaysia as a springboard into Asean," Rafidah said. "We do not want to be preoccupied with China as a market. China has a potential for partnership."

China was Malaysia's fourth largest trading partner in 2001. Total trade between Malaysia and China was valued at 29 billion ringgit (7.6 billion dollars) last year, up 22 percent from the previous year.

ASEAN, formed in 1967, groups Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Burma, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam. — AFP