Air Products Inc, a leading provider of industrial, atmospheric, process and specialty gases; performance materials; equipment; and technology, has set up an office in Xi'an, the capital city of China's Northwest Shaanxi province, the company announced on Thursday.

The Xi'an office will lead Air Products' business growth in Shaanxi province and other areas to meet growing demand for industrial gases from fast developing industries including energy, chemicals, electronics, new materials and fabrications in the region, according to the company's press release.

Stephen J. Jones, Air Products global senior vice president, president in Chinese areas and general manager of global energy refining, equipment and energy, said that his firm is expected to reach $15 billion in sales worldwide in 2015 and China's 12th Five-Year Plan gave the company tremendous market opportunities.

On March 29, Air Products set up a scholarship in Xi'an Jiaotong University to train personnel in West China.

The Fortune 500 company entered China in 1987. For fiscal 2011, Air Products had sales of approximately $10 billion.