Mark Chu, president and COO of Yum Brands’ China division, which is behind the country’s largest foreign fast-food chain, was reported by the China Daily as saying: “In addition to the first- and second-tier cities, there is broad scope for development in the fourth- and fifth-tier cities​.”

Earlier this year, Yum Brands signed an agreement with Suning Appliance in which the American corporation agreed to open 150 restaurants, including KFC and Pizza Hut outlets, in Suning stores over the next five years.

KFC entered the Chinese mainland market in 1987 and had opened 400 restaurants by the turn of the century. Four years later, this figure had jumped to 1,000, and in 2010, the chain had reached the 3,000 mark. Today, a total of 4,000 restaurants are trading across the mainland.