Carlsberg A/S, the Danish brewer whose beer is sold in 130 countries, may invest five billion kroner (US$878 million) in Asia, including China and Vietnam in the next three years, a company official said.

The CEO also said the beer maker may expand into new markets, either provinces in China where it's not active now or new countries.

"We are looking at India, and if we find the right model, we will go in," Andersen said. "Our key focus is western China. We are looking to invest three billion to five billion kroner in the next three years in Asia, after spending one billion kroner in China over past years."

Carlsberg is among the western European brewers that have been lured to China by the growth of the country's beer market.

The Valby, Denmark-based company has acquired or purchased stakes in about 20 local breweries to compete with rivals such as SABMiller Plc, which has said a joint venture it partly owns is the biggest Chinese beer maker.

Carlsberg expects China's beer market as a whole to expand 38 percent to about 357.3 million barrels by 2011. Growth will amount to 29 percent in India, Andersen said.

Most of the Chinese companies that Carlsberg has bought or partnered with are in the country's western interior, which is less prosperous than the eastern coastal region.

Source:佚名