Italian cement maker Italcementi said it has agreed to acquire a stake in West China Cement (WCC) as the group moves to strengthen its position in the world's largest building materials market.

In a statement Italcementi said that when the deal is complete it will own a stake of around 6.25% in WCC to become the company's third-largest shareholder.

Under the agreement Italcementi will sell to WCC Shaanxi Fuping Cement Company, which also owns 35% of Shifeng Cement, against the subscription of a reserved capital increase of WCC.