UK retailer Tesco remains on the hunt for a suitable JV partner to kickstart its Chinese campaign.

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The company has not yet met anyone that meets its requirements, Finola Lewis, vice president for business development, told Reuters on the fringes of an industry conference.

Tesco has made no secret of its intention of gaining a foothold in the burgeoning Chinese retail sector, but is keen to follow its tried and tested strategy of entering emerging markets by partnering with an experienced local player, for example Lotus in Thailand, where it now has its largest Asian presence.

Sector rivals Wal-Mart and Carrefour have already made modest inroads into China, with 22 and 32 stores respectively.

Tesco is also known to be eyeing a move into Japan.

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