ATLANTA – The Home Depot is expanding into China with the hope of one day becoming the largest home improvement store chain in Asia and rivaling the success it has had in the United States, company officials said Monday.

The Atlanta-based retailer would not say how many stores it plans for China or when its first store there will open, but it named Bill E. Patterson to the newly created position of Home Depot president of Asia.

Patterson will lead the company’s expansion into China, one of the largest and fastest-growing markets in the world, Home Depot said.