KUALA LUMPUR (July 4): Seven homegrown brands will be showcased at the 16th China (Beijing) Franchise Expo (CFE) to be held at China National Convention Centre in Beijing from July 9 to 11.

In a statement, the Malaysia External Trade Development Corporation (Matrade) said the Malaysian brands that will be on display include Coffeeland, Teh Tarik Place, Nyonyasuan, Daily Fresh, Brainchecker, Craft and Meiko.

The agency said it will be organising an "export acceleration mission" on the franchise industry at the franchise expo in China, in a bid to strengthen Malaysia’s foothold in China by promoting its franchise industry.

“Malaysia’s participation in the exhibition is aimed at providing a platform for local players to strengthen their networks in China and promote Malaysian franchise brands in China.

“Apart from the exhibition, Matrade will also be coordinating one-on-one business meetings for the Malaysian exhibitors, with Chinese buyers and potential partners from other countries at the event,” it added.

Matrade said the meetings will be organised in collaboration with FranChina LLC, the leading franchise association in China.

The expo is expected to attract over 300,000 attendees, comprising investors looking for franchising opportunities, with franchisors originating from the markets of Americas, Europe and Asia among attendees.

Matrade said the franchising industry in China is growing rapidly, with prospects identified in the catering industry, education and training, real estate brokerage, commercial service and network technology.

It said as Malaysia’s trade promotion agency, it will continue to support the local franchise players to expand their business overseas, as franchising has been recognised as one of the vehicles to diversify Malaysia’s exports of products and services.

“Second and third tier cities in China will be the key points for the franchise industry, with more than 80% of Chinese franchisers beginning to pay attention to the fourth tier cities,” it said.

“The middle class population in China is projected to grow to 600 million in the next 10 years and the Chinese economy is expected to become the largest in the world by 2050, offering a huge consumer market for the Malaysian players,” it added.

Matrade said Malaysia’s trade with China in 2015 rose 11.1% from 2014 to reach RM230.9 billion, making Beijing the largest trading partner for Malaysia for the seventh consecutive year.

Given China’s significance as Malaysia’s trading partner, Matrade has five trade offices in Beijing, Shanghai, Chengdu, Guangzhou and Hong Kong (Greater China), to facilitate Malaysian companies' export activities.