A group of investors from China is touring southern Puerto Rico in search of business opportunities.

"Our relationship may be quite fruitful," Li Shutang, who leads the business mission, told Efe. "We are looking for investment opportunities to strengthen links, and one should not forget that China is a country with more than 1.3 billion people."

Li said his group's visit may be a first step toward important cooperation.

Rolando Emmanuelli Jimenez, president of the ProSur group promoting business projects in the island's southern region, told Efe that the Chinese delegation included four businessmen from Tianjin, a city in northeastern China.

The visitors will remain in Puerto Rico this week to sign investment agreements that are welcome on the island, which has been eager to attract foreign capital to help it pull out of the economic slump of the past decade.

Among the projects that might get Chinese investment, Emmanuelli mentioned a study to build residences for senior citizens and low-income people in the cities of Ponce and Juana Diaz.

The same cities are also being evaluated for construction of a large commercial district that would offer housing with a wide variety of services to meet residents' needs.

"This last project is very ambitious and it will take more time," Emmanuelli said, adding that he was confident that agreements to carry out these projects would be signed within months.

Negotiations are far along and Li has been in touch with China's consul in Houston, whose area of responsibility includes Puerto Rico, to gain support for his investments in southern Puerto Rico, Emmanuelli said.

A larger Chinese business delegation might visit Puerto Rico during the summer.

With more than 12 million inhabitants, Tianjin has one of the world's largest trans-shipment ports.

ProSur works to promote development in the southern region of Puerto Rico. EFE