A senior Coca-Cola Co executive has said the group wants China to be its biggest market "soon", as it remains committed to major investment plans in the region.
//i2.aroq.com/1/96656085.jpgIn an interview late last week, Ahmet Bozer, president of Coca-Cola International, said the company is on-course with a US$4bn investment plan, first announced in 2011, according to China Daily. The spend includes opening a new plant in Shijiazhuang, capital of north China's Hebei Province, in October, the paper reported.
Coca-Cola is also moving to develop China's second and third-tier cities and its western areas, Bozer was quoted as saying.
"We want to make China our largest beverage market soon," Bozer said.
In Q1 results last month, Coca-Cola reported that overall volumes in China only rose by 1% year-on-year. However, sparkling beverages saw volumes climb by 8% in the region and juices by 14%.
At the CAGE conference in London in March, a senior Coca-Cola executive said the group was looking forward to "better days" in China, after a "bump in the road" last year.
Sectors: Soft drinks
Companies: The Coca-Cola Company
