eBay Inc., the world's largest online auctioneer, said on Monday that fast-growing China could become its largest local market in as little as five years if it plays its cards right.

"We think that the China market has tremendous potential for us," chief executive Meg Whitman told an audience at the Fortune Global Forum in Beijing.
 
"If we are good and we execute, ultimately China could be eBay's largest local market in a five to 10 year period."

Whitman did not specify what she meant by local market. But eBay typically goes into countries outside its US base and opens Internet sites there using locally-based Web addresses.

(China Daily May 16, 2005)