JAPAN'S biggest major alcoholic beverages maker, Suntory Ltd, plans to increase beer output by 50 per cent in China to 45,000 tonnes this year, the company has said.

China Jiangsu Suntory Foods Co Ltd, Suntory's local beer joint venture set up in 1984, had previously doubled output capacity to 30,000 tonnes a year by 1987.

The Nihon Keizai newspaper reported that Suntory would invest 200 million yen (about HK$14.6 million) for the expansion of its beer-making production facility in China to increase output.