China's largest solely-foreign-funded packaging enterprise, the Westvaco-Shorewood Joint Venture Packaging Plant, recently started operations in Guangzhou.

Co-financed by two US companies, the plant situated in the Technology Development Zone of the southern city has a capital of 50 million dollars.

Mark P. Shore, chairman of Shorewood Packaging Company, said the Guangzhou factory was established to meet the demands of large international companies who are long-time customers of Shorewood and have invested in China.

In addition, local enterprises are also trying to improve packaging as a way of upgrading of their products, he added.

Customers of the Westvaco-Shorewood plant include both well- known international companies and Chinese enterprises, according to the American entrepreneur.

Shorewood Packaging Company is a leading supplier of printing and packaging products, with 16 subsidiaries in the United States, Canada and China. Westvaco, listed on US-based Fortune magazine' s Top 500 list of outstanding businesses, is mainly engaged in paper making and forestry.

Chairman of Westvaco John A. Luke said that although the two companies are competitors in a certain field in the US market, they have jointly opened this factory to exploit the potential Chinese market. (Xinhua)