Coca-Cola and its bottling partner, Cofco Coca-Cola Beverage, said they have spent 210 million yuan (HK$238.12 million) on two plants that celebrated their official opening this week, part of a new wave of investment under Coke's US$2 billion pledge to the mainland market.
The US beverage giant's HK$19.65 billion takeover bid for juice maker China Huiyuan Juice Group was blocked by the government in March.
The two plants in Xinjiang and Jiangxi provinces, which began operation last year, bring the number of its bottling plants on the mainland to 38.
'This ... represents the Coca-Cola system's strong commitment to China and to consumers throughout China, including the less developed areas in central and western China in creating job opportunities and building a better community,' said Muhtar Kent, Coca-Cola's president and chief executive.
The two plants had directly created 796 jobs and were expected to create a further 8,000 jobs with upstream suppliers and service providers, the company said.
Coca-Cola has two bottling partners on the mainland - Swire Group and Cofco Group, the country's largest food importer and exporter. It also has a subsidiary for the bottling business in the country.
