Japanese camera maker Canon Inc said it is stepping up its efforts to expand into the medical equipment, video surveillance and the commercial printing sector in China this year, as the Chinese market has become an important engine for the company's growth.

"China is playing an increasingly vital role in our global market," said Hideki Ozawa, president and CEO of Canon China.

"The revenue from the Asian market has accounted for nearly 20 percent of our global revenue and the camera sales in this region contributed more than 30 percent of our camera sales globally."