Big firms keen on China while smaller ones eye Indonesia,

Big firms keen on China while smaller ones eye Indonesia,
Malaysia

Deutsche Presse-Agentur
Singapore

Bigger companies in Singapore contend the China market offers the
brightest business prospects for the next six months, but smaller
firms are more optimistic about Indonesia and Malaysia, a survey
showed on Tuesday.

The Business Times-GBI poll revealed 21.2 percent of larger
Singapore companies were upbeat on China. India and the United
States trailed, each with 12.9 percent.

Smaller companies viewed Indonesia and Malaysia as their most
promising markets. Each of those countries drew 23.8 percent in
the poll. China garnered 19 percent of the smaller firms queried.

The survey asked companies across a range of industries and
sectors about where business opportunities will be best in the
second half of the year.

The results, published in the Business Times, showed China was
seen as offering the best prospects when all the companies'
responses were grouped together with 20.8 percent. Indonesia came
next with 14.2 percent, then Malaysia with 13.2 percent.

Smaller firms "have had a relationship with Indonesia and
Malaysia for a longer time, and China is relatively new," survey
project director Chow Kit Boey was quoted as saying.

"Since many firms are going to China, smaller firms may feel
it is more difficult to compete there," she added.

In terms of sectors, China was tops for commerce, transport
and communications. The United States was seen as the most
promising market for manufacturing.

Malaysia was regarded as having the best business prospects
for construction companies. Financial- and business-services
firms were most excited about India, the survey showed.