• MSNBC/AP, Wednesday, April 4, 2007 11:27 AM

A new brewery in Foshan that is expected to be completed by late next year will enable Anheuser-Busch to double distribution in China to an additional 100 cities, making it potentially available to 150 million more beer drinkers. Anheuser-Busch also said it will introduce Harbin premium brands to 33 new markets in China.

Anheuser-Busch began brewing in China in 1995 with a facility in the city of Wuhan. In 2004, it edged out London-based rival SABMiller in a bidding war for north China brewer Harbin Brewery Group. It also has a 27% stake in Tsingtao, China's biggest brewer.

As the U.S. beer market has flattened in recent years, Anheuser-Busch has increasingly sought growth overseas. China's beer market surpassed the U.S. in 2002 as the world's biggest. It grew nearly 15% last year.

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