Caterpillar Inc. is planning to move its Asia headquarters from Tokyo to Beijing. The world’s largest manufacturer of earthmoving equipment says the move is dues to greater potential sales growth in China.

The company said in a statement that “expected future growth in China makes it the single largest opportunity for future sales for many Caterpillar products.” Vice President Rich Lavin, who oversees Asia Pacific manufacturing, will also move to Beijing.

Caterpillar employs about 5,000 people in China, out of 90,000 employees worldwide. In the last three years, the number of China-based employees has doubled, said Jim Dugan, a company spokesman based in Beijing. Caterpillar also has 13 manufacturing facilities in China that it either owns itself or operates through partnerships.