The Engineering and Export Promotion Council will send a 15-member delegation to China in February-March 2005, to explore export potential, its chairman Rakesh Shah said.

"China is generally seen as a threat because of its low cost of production and the perception of it being a major exporting country, but this is the first time a delegation of EEPC is going to explore items, which could be exported from India to China," Shah said.

He felt that the China market has not yet been explored by Indian companies and apart from submersible pumps, there was hardly any item which was exported from India.

The 15-member delegation would visit Beijing, Shanghai and Gonzhow and try to find items, which could be exported from India, he said.

Explaining the thrust of EEPC towards China, Shah said they were planning to organise 'India Tech', the exhibition that displays items manufactured in India for various purposes, in 2005-06.

"We are going to organise India Tech in Jakarta in February, 2005, but we are planning to organise the next exhibition in China," Shah said.

Meanwhile, EEPC was confident of reaching the target of $12 billion of engineering goods export set for the current financial year.