BEIJING, Jan 11 Asia Pulse - US-based Pepsi Cola Co., a leading soft drink company, has announced that it will invest US$850 million in China over the coming three years.

Zhu Huaxu, president of Pepsi's China company, said the investment demonstrates Pepsi's strong confidence in the Chinese market's long-term development.

Zhu said a large proportion of the investment will be used to explore the market in central and western China.

Among the first group of foreign companies to invest in China, Pepsi has pumped US$1 billion during the past 25 years, with its branches in China topping 40.