Samyang Foods, the South Korean company behind the popular Buldak noodles, will start production in December at its first Chinese factory in Jiaxing, Zhejiang province. A 45-day countdown to the launch kicked off at the ninth China International Import Expo in Shanghai on Nov 6.

The company is investing about 1 billion yuan ($149.87 million) in the factory, its first overseas production base. The facility will operate eight production lines, with an estimated annual production capacity of 1.13 billion packs of instant noodles.

Zhang Chi, the company's director of external communications in China, said Jiaxing was chosen for its transport links, food industry, and talent pool. The factory is located in a health food town close to Jiaxingnan Railway Station, with a well-developed food industry. Local authorities also provided English-, Japanese-, and Korean-speaking staff to support the project.

The company's sales in China tripled over the past three years, accounting for 30 percent of the group's overseas sales. Once operational, the Jiaxing factory will use smart production lines and a digital management system to better meet local demand.