While Carrefour is seeking new locations for its hypermarkets in China, some media reports have said the retail giant's glory days have passed, and investors are concerned that the company is retreating from too many high-growth markets.

In the 2017 Top 100 retail chain rankings, by the China chain store association, foreign competitors such as Wal-Mart, and domestic retailers Brilliance Group and CR Vangard, outstripped Carrefour China.

Last year, Carrefour said it was pulling out of Singapore and Greece. Those markets are not the first that the French supermarket chain has left.

In 2010, Carrefour sold its business in Thailand for 868 million euros ($1.14 billion). In 2009, the company withdrew from the Russian market, which experts had seen as a promising one.

In 2005, Carrefour announced the sale of its operations in Japan and Mexico. In 2006, it sold its stores in South Korea.

Gong Bo, an industry analyst at Beijing United Innovation Capital Ltd, said: "The company will not leave China in the short term, as growth of China's retail sector will be faster than in other world markets."

Questions:

1. What company is rumored to be leaving the Chinese market?

2. What is the company’s actual plan for China?

3. What markets did the company leave recently?

Answers:

1. France-based Carrefour SA.

2. Carrefour will maintain an expansion pace of about 20 to 25 new outlets in China each year.

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