Sy-led mall developer and operator SM Prime Holdings Inc. (SMPHI) will open today its fourth mall in mainland China’s Jiangsu Province called SM City Suzhou.

It follows SM City Xiamen, SM City Jinjiang, and SM City Chengdu. The cities of Xiamen and Jinjiang are in China’s Fujian Province, while Chengdu is in the Province of Sichuan.

SM Prime president Hans Sy said the mall’s launching affirms SM Prime’s keen objective to continue growing and expanding in areas of opportunity, even in those beyond the boundaries of the Philippines.

“It also confirms that the Filipinos have the needed knowledge, skills, and talents to compete in a global arena. Thus, the company intends to open several more new malls in China in the coming years,” he added.

SM City Suzhou is the second SM mall to be opened by SM Prime this year, after SM City Masinag in Antipolo, Rizal, bringing to 45 the total number of SM malls in the Philippines and in China, with a combined gross floor area (GFA) of 5.7 million square meters (sqm).

SM City Suzhou, which is located in the metropolis’ Wuzhong District, has a GFA of 72,552 sqm, of which 89 percent has already been awarded to various tenants. The shopping mall’s major tenants are Vanguard Hypermarket, SM Department Store, KFC, Jack & Jones, and Wanda Cinema.

The city of Suzhou in China has a population of approximately 6.3 million and has several export processing zones and industrial parks which include electronics, IT (information technology), and biotechnology. The city is also known for its rich cultural attractions such as temples, gardens, and ancient water towns.

For this year, SMPHI is scheduled to open SM City San Fernando in Pampanga, SM City Olongapo in Zambales and SM Marketmall in Dasmariñas and is also set to expand this year SM City Davao in Southern Mindanao and SM City Dasmariñas in Cavite. Danessa O. Rivera