US hotel chain Howard Johnson International, a relative latecomer to China, is planning to play "catch-up" with its competitors and open more than 20 new hotels here in the next couple of years.

So said an executive from the franchise group, which currently has 12 hotels in China.

"Howard Johnson will open 23 hotels in the next two years," said Peter L. Herweck, the newly-appointed director of operations for the Howard Johnson's China region. He added the company expected to have signed 60 hotel management contracts here by (the end of) 2006 and 100 by 2008, with five-star hotels accounting for 70 per cent.

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