Beijing Yanjing Brewery, China's third-largest beer maker, said on March 7 it would roughly double its sales in overseas markets and boost its market share at home this year. The brewer sold 4.7 billion yuan ($568 million) worth of beer last year, up from 1.29 billion yuan five years ago, said Yanjing Chairman Li Fucheng, a delegate to the National People's Congress, or parliament.

Yanjing's output would bubble up to 2.4 million tons this year, from 2.08 million tons in 2002, Li said. "We will actively explore the domestic and overseas market, raising our market share," he said at a meeting of Beijing's congress deputies. The firm has bought 12 plants in the past two or three years and is planning to acquire more, preferably big ones, Li said without giving details. The firm planned to more than double exports to 15,000 tons from 7,000 tons last year, Li added.

Yanjing has been eclipsed in the giant U.S. market by the better-known Tsingtao 0168.HK brand, but it has moved to raise its profile through advertising at basketball games featuring the Houston Rockets, the team of Chinese star player Yao Ming. In Taiwan, which Beijing regards as a wayward province, Yanjing started selling beer last July and had sold 2,700 tons through December.

10 March, 2003