Huge numbers of jobs are due to be created as Western fast food and coffee retailers continue to expand their business in the world’s most populous country, according to Chinadaily.com.

McDonald’s announced on Monday that they had awarded their first ever franchise licence in China to the Kunming North Star Group, as part of a move to create 700 new stores in China by 2013, bringing the national total to 2,000.

Meanwhile, following Starbucks has announced plans to expand its current fleet of outlets in China by 1,500 by 2015, again to reach an overall figure of 2,000.

British-owned Costa Coffee has set out more modest plans, to double its number of Chinese outlets by opening another 100 in the next year. Asia director of Costa Paul Smith told Chinadaily.com the expansion would create thousands of jobs.