China being Coke's top Asian market
(Agencies)
Updated: 2004-06-21 16:16

Sales in China for Coca-Cola will surpass those in Japan this year, making the Chinese mainland the biggest market in Asia for the world's largest soft drink maker.

Coca-Cola, which competes with Pepsico, says its profits in Japan would continue to outrank China, and the profits in Japan are still neck and neck with the United States.

In terms of sales volume, China will probably pass Japan this year.

Coca-Cola, which opened its first bottling plant in China in 1927, has said it would build three new plants in the country to complement its existing 30 facilities.