The US retail giant Costco is diving into the thorny area of food retail in
China with its first store opening this week, but analysts warn it faces a tough ride as it looks to succeed where a series of international retailers have failed.
The move also comes at a challenging time with
Beijing and
Washington engaged in a tense trade war that has seen them swap punitive
tariffs on hundreds of billions of dollars of two-way trade.
China has proved a brutal battleground for overseas food retailers in recent years, with many failing to understand consumer habits and tastes as well as local competitors building a stronger presence.