Julian Hunt, Shanghai
Carrefour remains confident of solving its planning dispute with the central authorities in China and insists the row will not derail its ambitions to grow in the region.
Jean-Luc Chereau, president of Carrefour's Chinese arm, emphasised that any unresolved issues were legal not operational.
"We are working with the national authorities and go once a week to Beijing to see different ministers to solve the problem," he said.
Chereau said Carrefour had met Beijing's demand to draw up a plan to comply with Chinese rules within three months. A key part of the proposal revolves around how Carrefour will standardise the joint venture agreements established with its Chinese partners.
Although confident the plan will resolve the dispute, Chereau could not say when it would be approved by the central authorities.
He also said the plan would not change the way Carrefour operated in China, and insisted the French group had not been ordered to sell or close any of its 27 hypermarkets in the fast growing market.
However, Chereau admitted Carrefour would have to delay some openings "by a few weeks or months", adding that the Chinese authorities were asking all foreign companies to go through the same procedures.
"We have a long term view in China," he added.
The French executive said Carrefour was keen to open up to 12 stores a year in China. It is building in Suzhou and Hangzhou, and wants to open stores in the cities of Harbin, Jinan and Xian.
Carrefour and its main rivals became embroiled in the row in November after Beijing officials discovered stores had opened without approval from central authorities.
"Normally, a licence is given by a local authority which must ask national authorities for approval but they didn't. We have been asked to respect Chinese law at national and local level," Chereau said.
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