The New World Group of companies yesterday signed a number of agreements to finance housing and infrastructure projects in Beijing and Sichuan, involving hundreds of millions of dollars. New World Infrastructure (NWI) has signed a comprehensive co-operation agreement with Leshan city in Sichuan province, deputy managing director Douglas Chan Wing-tak said. Speaking to Merrill Lynch's Asia Pacific Power and Infrastructure Conference, Mr Chan said NWI had also signed a preliminary contracts with Sichuan province on investing in two toll roads in the province. He said the roads were medium-sized but declined to give details before the contract signing. In Beijing, New World Development signed an agreement to build affordable houses for the general population within a zone covering 1.3 square kilometres in the first phase, at a cost of US$450 million. Up to 1.5 million square metres of gross floor area could be built upon completion. A second project by New World Infrastructure will involve developing roads and gas and water supplies for part of the zone, at a cost of US$450 million. New World has a 70 per cent stake in both projects.