"It's a natural progression for us," Thompson tells GlobeSt.com, explaining that governmental policies favor growth in those markets going forward. Guangzhou and Shenzhen are emerging as major manufacturing centers, he says, whereas Chengdu has enjoyed heavy infrastructure development, good transit networks and economic breaks to encourage private investment. "The appeal for multi-nationals is very strong," Thompson says of the city, which has 12 million people and an economy poised for new millennium growth. Intel, for example, recently opened a chip-processing plant in Chengdu. The capital city of the Sichuan Province in southwestern China, Chengdu is also regarded as a promising area for life sciences, reflecting a skilled, educated work force.

Approximately 20 people are already working in C&W's Chengdu office, says Thompson, making it among the largest of its kind in the country. The opening coincides with C&W's appointment as property manager of Times Plaza, a one-million-sf tower in Chengdu's Central Business District.

C&W's Chengdu office will be initially run by Andrew Zhu, the firm's national director for business development, and supported by associate director Sonny Chen and senior manager Wang Yi. A veteran CRE consultant who previously worked in the Beijing operation, C&W director Lisa Lung will lead both the Guangzhou and Shenzhen offices. All three new offices will offer C&W's full range of services, including leasing, facilities management, property management and investment sales capabilities. Not only can the firm assist in identifying CRE opportunities or establishing client operations in the markets served, Thompson says knowledge of government programs and policies could lead to assisting in structuring a favorable investment.