Starbucks steps up China operations with CEO appointment and growth plans

Coffee chain Starbucks Corp named its first chief executive officer in China, as it plans to ramp up its efforts in the country in order to boost profits.

The chain wants to double its store count to more than 5,000 by 2021.

Belinda Wong has been named as CEO of Starbucks China, having previously served as president of the group. She will still report to president of Starbucks Global Retail John Culver.

Wong joined Starbucks in 2000, and now she will also be in charge of digital and ecommerce in the region.

Starbucks has been operating in China for the last 17 years and already has more than 2,300 cafes in 100 cities.

The company has previously stated that its Chinese operations have the potential to outgrow its US business. There are currently 12,900 stores domestically.