Construction of a mall run by Wal-Mart, a world retail giant, has started in Hangzhou, capital of eastern Zhejiang Province and a prestigious scenic city in east China.

 

The Wal-Mart Hangzhou mall with a floor space of 18,000 square meters is expected to go into service before the end of 2006.

 

As the leading retailer in the world, Wal-Mart has launched some 5,000 outlets in 10 countries worldwide with a combined employment of more than 1.6 million people.

 

Wal-Mart has opened more than 40 outlets in Chinese cities, including Shenzhen, Beijing, Harbin and Nanjing, in the past decade since its entry into China in 1996. The retailer now employs more than 20,000 employees in the country.

 

(Xinhua News Agency December 30, 2005)