In an effort to tap the huge potential of fast-food market, McDonald's China said on last Thursday that it plans to identify strategic partners to advance its growth plans in the country.
为了更好地开拓快餐市场的巨大潜力，麦当劳中国区上周四宣布，计划寻找战略合作伙伴以实现其在国内的增长战略。
The move is expected to add value within its organization and further enhance its investment and competitiveness in the country. Strategic investors will together hold "majority shares" in Chinese mainland.
麦当劳此举是为了提升自身的价值，同时进一步扩大在中国的投资和市场竞争力，并且引进的战略投资将占中国大陆市场的大部分份额。
Currently, McDonald's operates 2,200 restaurants, 35 percent of them as franchisees, in Chinese mainland. The company is also seeking strategic investors in Hong Kong and South Korea.
目前，麦当劳在中国大陆经营着2200多家快餐厅，其中35%是以连锁形式加盟的。同时，麦当劳方面在中国香港和韩国也在寻求战略合作。
CEO Steve Easterbrook said in an exclusive interview with China Daily in Beijing that they are committed to China - which is now their third-largest market in the world - for the long term and plan to open 250 restaurants each year in the next five years.
公司首席执行官史蒂夫·伊斯特布鲁克在北京接受中国日报专访时表示，作为麦当劳全球第三大市场，公司在中国有着长远规划，预计未来五年公司将每年新开250家新餐厅。

He said he remained open-minded and interested to potential investors. The candidate they are looking for will have a deep understanding of the Chinese market, financial capacity, as well as competitive strengths that will enable the fast-food giant to accelerate growth in China.
他表示，他对于潜在投资者持开放态度并具有浓厚兴趣。该公司寻求的战略投资者必须对中国市场有着很深的了解，有强大的财政承受能力，并具备竞争优势，能够共同推动麦当劳在中国快速发展。
Explaining why the company is seeking strategic investors, Phyllis Cheung, CEO of McDonald's China, said: "We need to accelerate our growth and expand our business presence in China. With the introduction of strategic partners, we will be able to tap into the rich local resources and be self-sufficient with more access to investment capital to unlock our growth potential.We will also be able to make faster local decisions by being China centric to achieve our goal of being the second-largest market for McDonald's."
在被问到公司为什么寻求战略合作伙伴时，麦当劳中国的首席执行官张家茜表示：“我们需要加快在中国的增长并扩大在中国的业务量。随着战略伙伴的引入，公司将可以开拓巨大的地方资源，同时有更充足的资本去释放自身的增长潜力。建立本地化的市场能使我们更加灵活的应对市场变化，从而实现成为麦当劳全球第二大市场的目标。”
China is expected to overtake Japan to become the second-largest market for McDonald's globally after the United Sates by 2020. The company has appointed Morgan Stanley to identify potential investors and it is expected to announce more details in due course.
到2020年前，中国有望超越日本，成为仅次于美国的麦当劳全球第二大市场。公司已经委托摩根史坦利投资公司对潜在投资者进行资质鉴定，并将及时公布更多细节。