Japan's biggest heavy machinery maker, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, announced it would team up with US firm Westinghouse Electric to bid for nuclear power plant projects in China.
The bid is for the construction of two reactors in the southern province of Guangdong and the eastern province of Zhejiang.
The contracts are estimated at between US$3.7 billion and US$4.7 billion.
The reactors are scheduled to start operating as early as 2010 and the Chinese government is expected to name the successful bidders by the end of this year.
China has nine nuclear power plants, with two more now under construction.