Scotland’s First Minister, Nicola Sturgeon is on a trade mission to China, and has launched a new £3m (€4.2) fund which will be used to buy rare and valuable Scottish malts for investors and consumers in China.

During her visit, she will also open the Single Malt Club of China’s new Whisky Experience Centre in Beijing that will showcase and sell Scotch whisky to this growing market

The Single Malt Club imported 60,000 bottles of Scotch to China last year and the new fund, working with more than 30 distilleries in Scotland and plans to boost sales by 20 percent next year.

Ms Sturgeon said: "The Single Malt Club China has worked hard to promote Scotch whisky for a decade and now has nearly 5,000 members throughout China.

Continuing: "It also works with 31 of our distilleries, so the support for our industry is clear, and this fund will allow Chinese whisky connoisseurs to invest in some of Scotland's finest and rarest drams," reports the BBC.

This comes off the back of a drop-off in Scotch sales in China last year - but overall food and drink exports from Scotland to China rose by 12 percent last year to £85m.

A 2014 report on the future of Irish whiskey comments on the success of Scottish whisky in China  - but also warns that trends suggest that sales are facing a period of decline.

It concludes that China and other BRIC nations "are not specific destinations for Irish Whiskey at present," and that future growth in these markets will be challenging.