Wal-Mart plans rapid expansion in China

Wal-Mart plans to hire up to 150,000 employees in China over the next five years, five times its present workforce there, as it continues to expand.

A company spokesman said it had targeted China, which has long been a major supplier of its products, as a key region for international store growth.

It now has 56 stores in China with about 30,000 employees and plans to open 20 more stores this year.