EAST meets West next month when a five-strong delegation from China comes to Chorley on a fact-finding mission.

The visitors -- from Chorley's Friendship City of Lanzhou -- will explore local business and educational links.

The self-financed trip, headed by deputy mayor Yang and accompanied by Mr Li, general manager of the Lanzhou Import and Export Corporation, follows hot on the heels of the Chorley-Lanzhou Friendship City agreement, signed in Beijing in September.

Chorley's links with Lanzhou --the provincial capital of Gansu Province in North West China -- stem from an initial one-day visit to Chorley by municipal government officials in 1997. Since then, ties have strengthened and are continuing to develop.

During the forthcoming visit the delegation will be looking at opportunities for collaboration with local firms and setting up student placements and exchanges. They are also interested in potential partners for a rose-oil project.

At the same time, the Chinese team will be following up discussions with Alan France, dean of Central Lancashire University Business School, who accompanied the Chorley delegation during their recent visit to Lanzhou.

Council leader Jack Wilson said: "I am delighted that our friends in Lanzhou are as keen as we are to develop the business and educational links between our two areas.

"The Chinese economy is growing fast, at around eight to 10 per cent a year, and their appetite and enthusiasm to learn English is enormous. UK exports to China last year totalled over £1.8 billion and exports at the beginning of this year were up by 65 per cent.

"Already the UK is the sixth largest investor in China and by far the European Union's biggest investor, with over £9 billion pledged investment and in excess of 2,000 joint ventures to date. These include not only major companies, including locally GPT Payphones, but also smaller specialist companies.

"Against this backdrop the potential benefits for local people, businesses and universities of developing these links are self-evident. Increased trade, business and student placements, mean more job opportunities and more vibrant local and regional economies."

Chorley is one of a growing number of local authorities in the North West to have established links with China.