By Lauren Hirsch and Greg Roumeliotis (Reuters) - A consortium that includes sovereign wealth fund China Investment Corp (CIC) and U.S. buyout firm KKR & Co (KKR.N) has ended discussions to buy a stake in Yum Brands Inc's (YUM.N) China unit, according to people familiar with the matter. Louisville, Kentucky-based Yum Brands, owner of the Pizza Hut and KFC fast-food chains, has been looking to spin off its 7,205 China restaurants by the end of 2016, amid pressure from activist investor Corvex Management, whose founder, Keith Meister, is on Yum's board. One of the main sticking points was the CIC consortium's desire to have majority control in the China business, something Yum would not entertain because of the negative tax implications on proceeds, the people said on Friday.