MIAMI - Burger King will enlarge its kingdom in China over the next five to seven years by opening 1,000 franchised units, Nation??s Restaurant News reports. Currently, Burger King operates 63 locations in China.

The company will work with the Kurdoglu family, along with Cartesian Capital Group, on the multi-unit development agreement. This means that the Kurdoglus will be the biggest franchise operator in the system with exclusive rights to more Chinese locations.

For Burger King, plans for China come on the heels of an overall global expansion strategy previously revealed. The company will open several hundred Russian locations with Burger Rus, and another several hundred in Brazil. Currently, Burger King has 12,500 units in 82 countries and territories.

"Expanding our brand??s presence in China further exemplifies our company??s commitment to strengthening our global restaurant portfolio and establishing a strong brand presence in key growth markets around the world," said Elias Diaz Sese, president of BK Asia Pacific, in a statement. "We have partnered with solid investors and experienced restaurant operators to accelerate our net restaurant growth in China, while introducing our signature great-tasting, fire-grilled menu items to millions of consumers in the country."

Burger King isn??t the only chain that has been eyeing expansion in China. Yum! Brands Inc. will open 600 additional restaurants in the country, while Starbucks unveiled its plans to increase its Asia Pacific presence. In addition, McDonald??s and Dairy Queen both have a robust and increasing presence in the country.