Three Chinese private businesses expressed interest in buying the assets of the state-owned Tianjin Goubuli Catering (Group) Corp, a 147-year-old famous Chinese snack producer, Friday.

The business has been listed on the Tianjin Municipal Property Right Transfer Center for 20 days. The final bidding is expected on February 28.

The company owns assets totaling 117 million yuan (US$14.14 million) and a debt of 80.49 million yuan (US$9.73 million) and its net assets stands at 36.967 million yuan (US$4.47 million).

The bottom price for bidding will be 15.192 million yuan (US$1.837 million), said an official with the Heping District Economic and Trade Committee.

The Goubuli company requires whoever taking over the company's assets to provide a written plan for Goubuli's current, medium- and long-term development, to accept all registered workers of Goubuli company and not to run unrelated businesses at Goubuli's buildings.

Goubuli is the name of a type of steamed pork-filled bun produced by the company, which has been popular with Chinese consumers during the past 150 years.

Established in 1858, Goubuli was transformed into a state-owned business in the 1950s.

(Xinhua News Agency February 5, 2005)