Chinese companies are struggling to raise their profiles as investors are wary of unfamiliar names, Elaine Tan reports from Kuala Lumpur

When Xingquan International Sports Holdings Ltd sought a listing on Bursa Malaysia - the Malaysian stock exchange - it was welcomed with open arms.

The 2009 initial public offering of China's fifth-largest outdoor sportswear manufacturer was the first by a foreign company after a concerted 16-month effort by the local Securities Commission and the stock exchange to internationalize Malaysia's capital market.