Why did the Group build its production base in Northern China?
The main production base, with an area of approximately 600,000 square meters, is in Changchun because Jilin province is in the Golden Corn Belt of the PRC, with the most abundant supply of corn. Corn sweeteners plants were strategically built in Shanghai in close proximity to customers, food and beverage manufacturers located in Shanghai and surrounding areas. The latest addition is a 600,000-metric-tonne capacity corn refinery in Jinzhou, Liaoning province, which will be operational by early 2004. Being in the Golden Corn Belt, Jinzhou is a major port for shipment and transshipment to southern China and overseas so it lowers transportation costs.
