Beer consumption in China, where a 640 ml bottle can sell for as little as the equivalent of 12 U.S. cents, has more than doubled in the past 10-12 years, Budweiser says.

Anheuser-Busch also plans to expand its share of the premium segment by introducing brands made specifically for Chinese beer drinkers and by expanding its Harbin premium brands into 33 new markets in 2007, it said.

It plans to integrate Budweiser and Harbin Beer, including marketing, sales and human resources, to help develop the Harbin brand.

The U.S. brewer, which has a 27-percent stake in Tsingtao Brewery, China's largest beermaker, bought Wuhan Brewing Co. and Harbin Brewery in 1995.

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