Danish industrial group Danfoss is expanding in China to take advantage of the government's commitment to building a green economy, Danfoss China president Thomas Koniordos told China.org.cn.

Koniordos said Danfoss is currently represented in more than 20 Chinese cities and employs more than 5,000 staff either directly or through affiliate companies.

He said the company has made great efforts to adapt its products to the Chinese market and is currently hiring Chinese Research and Development staff to work on product localization.

Danfoss is also expanding its operations from China's coastal areas to the country's interior, Koniordos said.

"One of the themes of our origin is going west. We are establishing sales offices and also R & D centers there. We have a lot of demand, so we develop in the west as well as the east."

Specializing in components and solutions for refrigeration, air conditioning, heating and water controls, Danfoss attended the 2010 China International Green Industry Expo held from 24 to 27 November at the Beijing Exhibition Centre.

The Chinese government is currently deliberating China's 12th Five-Year Plan that covers the years 2011-2015, and is prioritizing the construction of a sustainable, green economy by boosting domestic demand and investing in clean technologies.

Koniordos said he is extremely optimistic about Chinese market. "The plan is very harmonious with our business, since Danfoss as a company is focused on climate and energy," he said.

He said that since 1960, the Danish government had, like today's China, focused on boosting its GDP. But at the same time Denmark had applied energy saving solutions to improve energy efficiency. So over the past 50 years, the consumption of energy in the country had remained basically stable.

He used the example of a radiator thermostat that offers energy savings of up to 30 percent. In Denmark, a long-term decision was taken at a national level 20-30 years ago to use heat planning as an effective tool to achieve energy savings and CO2 reductions. Today, more than 60 percent of Danish households are linked to district energy networks, making the country among the most energy-efficient in the world.

"So, now what we shall do is just apply the Denmark model to Chinese society," Koniordos said.