"We have contacted the London 2012 Olympic Games to see what we can do for them," an unnamed official from Heng Yuan Xiang (HYX) told the China Daily in a story published today.

 

The company signed a contract with the Beijing Organisng Committee for the Games of the XXIX Olympiad (BOCOG) in December 2005, hoping to increase its popularity overseas.

 

It also looking to establish further relationships with major sporting events as it seeks to expand into Europe.

 

Established in 1927, HYX is a household brand in China, but it has not made a similar impact abroad.

 

Officials hope that associating the company to the world's biggest sporting spectacle will help change this.

 

"The Olympics is the most popular brand in the world, so when the name Heng Yuan Xiang appears next to this, the company will stand on the same starting line as other world-leading brands," said company chairman Liu Ruiqi.

 

"When that happens, HYX will finally go global."

 

The company first contacted the Olympic leadership 10 years ago, when Liu presented a gift to Juan Antonio Samaranch, the then president of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), at its headquarter in Lausanne, Switzerland.

 

HYX was named as an official sponsor of the Beijing Games at the end of 2005.

 

It will provide financial backing and formal wear, homeware and other textile products for the Games, the Beijing 2008 Paralympic Games, BOCOG, the Chinese Olympic Committee and the Chinese sports delegations to the Olympic Games.

 

"It's a great honor for HYX to be selected as an Official Sponsor of the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games and join the elite family of Olympic sponsors," said Liu.

 

"HYX will carry the Olympic message to every province in the country through our national networks of affiliates, our retail partners and our wholly-owned subsidiaries."