A joint venture of two Chinese companies has announced a US$100 million investment in a veterinary vaccine factory in Bogor, West Java, which is expected to help restrict the spread of bird flu in the country through more competitively priced vaccines.

The company, PT Biotis Prima Agrisindo, was co-founded by drugs giant Pharmally International Holding Co. Ltd. with a 69 percent stake, and state-owned enterprise Harbin Weike Biotechnology Development Company with a 10 percent share.

Biotis executives laid the first stone to mark the start of the construction of the new vaccine factory in Gunung Sindur on Saturday. The factory is slated for completion in the third quarter of 2017.

“In the first phase after the completion, the factory will employ about 200 local workers, while around 10 technicians from China will help in research and development and the quality cont...