China's growing middle class and general rising wealth entices Australia's largest private hospital operator, Ramsay Health Care, which is said to be in talks to invest in The Mainland's private healthcare market, a media report has said.

According to industry reports, healthcare is seen to be one of the most promising industries that stands to benefit from Asia’s ageing population and growing riches.

Reuters has said that “Ramsay, which sealed a joint venture deal with Malaysia's Sime Darby Bhd in March, has been reviewing opportunities around Asia, particularly China, and expects to make its move in the near future,” following a comment from Ramsay's managing director, Chris Rex.

"There are a number of potential opportunities in China, which I would hope we would start to be able to execute over the course of next two to three years," Rex told the news service.

"There are lots of organisations, both government and non-government, who are in the process of doing something and want to link up with an international health player to make things happen," Rex added.

The media report said that China's healthcare sector has been overwhelmingly dominated by government-owned public hospitals, and restrictions on foreign ownership were only lifted at the end of 2011, according to the country's planning agency, the National Development and Reform Commission.

"I think it's just uncharted territory, so whilst a lot of regulations have changed to allow it to happen, to actually execute that in a local circumstance is still to be tested," Rex said.

China represents a "fantastic opportunity" for healthcare companies around the world, with its emerging middle class and aging population, he added.

Ramsay operates 116 hospitals across Australia, the UK, France and Indonesia.