--FILE--A pedestrian walks past a convenience store of 7-Eleven in Shanghai, China, 30 March 2015. New Hope Group is considering expanding the 7-Eleven convenience store business it operates with Japanese partners to strengthen its ties with the consumer market, the chairman of the Chinese company said. Liu Yonghao spoke on the sidelines of the National People's Congress session. The private-sector food and feedstuff giant, based in Sichuan Province, started operating 7-Eleven stores at the end of 2013 under a joint venture with Mitsui & Co. and Seven & i Holdings unit Seven Eleven (Japan) Investment. Now the joint business operates 27 stores in the inland city of Chongqing. Noting that the stores serve as a channel linking its products with the market, Liu said that the company is thinking about opening stores in other cities mainly in the southwestern region, including Sichuan.
