MANY of the major international hotel chains are now represented in China and those who have yet to establish a presence are generally keen to do so.
The pioneer in this area, however, was ITT Sheraton with the Great Wall Sheraton-Beijing which is about to celebrate its 10th anniversary under the group's management.
Sheraton, which has a strong presence at ITE, is today the most heavily committed to the Chinese market with a total of five hotels.
In addition to the Beijing property, Sheraton manages the Sheraton Hua Ting Hotel in Shanghai, the Sheraton Tianjin Hotel, the Sheraton Guilin, and the Sheraton Xian hotel.
The company recently signed an agreement with China International Travel Service and the Bank of China Trust and Consultancy Company to form China's first joint venture hotel management company, the Sheraton Orient Hotel Management Company Ltd.
Brian Pratt, director of sales ITT Sheraton Asia, said the company was ''almost over-exposed'' to China and had a far heavier commitment than any of its competitors.