GUANGXI: A visit to the Chongzuo Lee & Man Paper Manufacturing Ltd company’s Chongzuo facility to learn about how paper products are manufactured and sold in China as well as exported showed what could also have been possible for SFI set up under Berjaya admin.
The media visit to the Chongzuo facility at No. 1, Liwen Road, Zhongtai Industrial Park, Jiangzhou District of Chongzuo, was part of the “Guangxi in the Eyes of the International Media 2025” themed “Sharing New Opportunities, Advancing Together into the Future” study tour event.
It was hosted by the Information Office of the People’s Government of Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region and organised by the China News Service Guangxi Branch.
Lee & Man Paper Manufacturing is a company engaged in paper and pulp manufacturing. It produces linerboards of various grades and corrugating mediums of different specifications used for industrial packaging purposes with an annual output of 300,000 tons of chemical pulp, 400,000 tons of household paper, 400,000 tons of household paper post-processing and smart logistics park utilizing AI, besides others.
The factory plant is a forestry, pulp and paper integrated full industry chain project that Lee & Man Group set up in its Chongzuo facility in integrating the papermaking and packaging industry chain, and its production capacity ranks among the top in the global paper industry.
It is one of the largest papermaking enterprises with scale and strength in the industry, mainly producing packaging box board, coated duplex board and household paper products of different levels and specifications to meet the needs of different industries.
The Group has more than ten papermaking and pulp making bases in China that are distributed in Guangdong, Jiangsu, Chongqing, Jiangxi, Guangxi and Sichuan etc. In addition, the Group also has production bases in Vietnam, Malaysia and other countries, and offices in Hong Kong, Macau, Europe, the United States.
At present, the Group occupies some certain share in the paper industry, and its market share maintains a leading level and is actively promoting capacity upgrading, introduce advanced technology and equipment, build a number of large wood pulp and paper production lines, and continuously expand various industrial chain projects to cater to more market share as well as enhance the brand appeal of Lee and Man Group in China and abroad.
The Group has become a multinational enterprise with an annual production capacity over 9 million tons, of which packing paper capacity is about 7 million tons, pulp capacity is about 1 million tons, tissue paper capacity is about 1.3 million tons.
In addition to building an effective and viable business, the Lee & Man Paper Group also sees its responsibility towards the society, particularly in environment protection.
Thus, it has continually invested in implementing appropriate protection measures and these efforts are well noticed. Its plants have received many international quality and environmental management certifications.
Chongzuo Lee & Man Pulp Manufacturing Limited stands as a vital pillar within Chongzuo’s High-tech Industrial Development Zone, leveraging the city’s strategic position as a central hub for China-Asean cooperation.
As a key entity under Lee & Man Paper Manufacturing Limited, a global leader in integrated packaging and pulp paper, the Chongzuo facility benefits from a vast international network.
Founded in Hong Kong in 1994, the parent company operates eight production bases across China, alongside facilities in Vietnam and Malaysia, demonstrating a strong global footprint.
The Chongzuo facility itself represents a substantial investment within this network. This integrated complex boasts an impressive annual production capacity of 1.1 million tons of pulp and paper, complemented by robust downstream processing capabilities.
Its operations create a comprehensive industrial ecosystem, spanning from bamboo research and development and cultivation to manufacturing, tissue conversion, and logistics.
The facility’s location provides a significant advantage for trade with Asean markets. For instance, premium tissue paper manufactured at the site is directly converted into finished products by brand partners and subsequently exported to Vietnam, Thailand, and Malaysia. The company is at the forefront of sustainable manufacturing, aligning with China’s ambitious Carbon Peak and Carbon Neutrality goals.
The company has pioneered an innovative biomass energy system that transforms agricultural waste into clean electricity. This initiative underscores a commitment to a full-lifecycle green management system, from procurement through to logistics.
Moving forward, the company is dedicated to advancing intelligent automation and cultivating an industrial ecosystem where artificial intelligence and manufacturing seamlessly integrate.
The company’s ultimate vision is to forge a technologically advanced, ecologically efficient, and entirely renewable forest-pulp-paper industrial cluster, that is a good example to the global community from China.
In fact, had the expertise of the Lee & Man Group was sought, it could have been the white knight to rescue SFI.
It was parasitically exploited by politicians put in place due to party connections in the past.
Had the SFI project been a success story Sabah would today be not only manufacturing paper, but as the Lee & Man Group is doing – exporting tissue papers, toilet papers etc.