MANILA, Philippines - Leading mall developer SM Prime Holdings, Inc. is opening its fourth shopping mall in China on Friday (September 23).

The SM City Suzhou, located in the Wuzhong District of Suzhou, Jiangsu Province, has a gross floor area of 72,552 square meters (sqm). Around 89% of the mall has already been awarded to various tenants such as Vanguard Hypermarket, SM Department Store, KFC, Jack & Jones, and Wanda Cinema.

SM Prime already operates three shopping malls in China: SM City Xiamen and SM City Jinjiang in Fujian Province and SM City Chengdu in Sichuan Province.

"We are very pleased to open the doors of our newest mall, SM City Suzhou in China. 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," said SM Prime President Hans T. Sy, in a statement.

With a population of approximately 6.3 million, Suzhou has several export processing zones and industrial parks. The city is also known for its rich cultural attractions such as temples, gardens, and ancient water towns.

SM City Suzhou is the second SM mall to be opened by SM Prime this year, after SM City Masinag in Antipolo, Rizal.

There are currently 45 SM malls in the Philippines and in China, with a combined GFA of 5.7 million sqm.

China is a key area of expansion for SM Prime, with plans for four other malls by 2013.

This year, SM Prime is scheduled to open SM City San Fernando in Pampanga, SM City Olongapo in Zambales and SM Marketmall in Dasmariñas. There is also on-going expansion of SM City Davao in Southern Mindanao and SM City Dasmariñas in Cavite.