Eastman Chemical views China as key market

China's rapidly growing middle class and the government's firm commitment to boosting its environmental protection efforts will bring great opportunities for multinational companies, and Eastman Chemical counts itself among them.

"We look at China's efforts to improve its environmental compliance as a great opportunity for Eastman. We operate all of our plants by global standards and by environmental compliance, so the plants that we operate do not include some of these problems," said Mark Costa, CEO of Eastman Chemical Co, in an interview with China Daily.

Eastman Chemical, a company spun off as a chemical business by its founder George Eastman, the inventor of photographic film, from Eastman Kodak, is famous for its active expansion in new niche chemical markets. In recent years, the company has been increasing its presence in emerging markets, with China playing a key role in its expansion plan.

China already accounts for the largest part of Eastman's Asia-Pacific region, which contributes 28 percent to Eastman's global revenue, data from the company showed.

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