China is a country of superlatives. It is the world’s most populous state, and the largest by far in East Asia. China is also one of the world’s major players in terms of trading volume and economic power. Despite the current weakness of the world economic climate, the country remains one of the strongest growth engines in the global economy. METRO Group became one of the first western retailing companies to enter the Chinese market back in 1996. The company plans to continue expanding its operations in the country over the coming years.