[en] The Kuok Group, owned by Malaysian tycoon Robert Kuok, has emerged as the latest potential investor in a petrochemicals joint venture in China. The group, which has assets including the Shangri-La chain of hotels and several urea formaldehyde plants in Malaysia and Singapore, has signed a memorandum of understanding with the local authorities of Beihai, Guangxi province to study a $3-billion refinery and petrochemicals complex. Beihai, in coastal southwestern China, is near the Vietnam border. The project, understood to be in the preliminary scoping phase, would include a 100,000-bbl/day refinery and a world-scale 450,000-m.t./year cracker that would feed a 450,000-m.t./year polyethylene unit. To make the operation competitive, the group is considering building an ethylene cracker and looking for a cheap source of natural gas. It is understood that an undisclosed Western company has joined forces in the joint venture, which is not one of the 14 petrochemicals complexes currently planned in China. Kuok, who has good contacts in China and has just agreed to develop a commercial complex in Shanghai's Zhabei district, has been approached by the Beihai authorities. Beihai, an economic development zone, would like its own refinery. The closest one is in Maoming. A decision is expected by the end of then year