On a trip to China since the day before, Emmanuel Macron met this Thursday, April 6, President Xi Jinping. The Head of State took the opportunity to make agreements and sign contracts with a view to obtaining “better access to the Chinese market” for French companies.
Energy
The energy group EDF and the Chinese nuclear giant CGN have renewed their global partnership agreement, in force since 2007. It covers the design, construction and operation of nuclear power plants. This agreement notably enabled EDF to build with CGN the only EPR facility currently in service in the world, in Taishan, in southern China.
EDF has also signed cooperation agreements with the electricity companies CHN Energy and SPIC for an offshore wind project and a stake in an existing land site.
Transports
The aircraft manufacturer Airbus will be able to double its aircraft production capacity in China, thanks to a second assembly line at its Tianjin site, near Beijing. It is due to enter service in the second half of 2025. Airbus has already had one since 2008, which has produced more than 600 A320s. The Chinese airline market is the second largest in the world.
The Marseille shipowner CMA-CGM, world number three, has signed an agreement with Cosco, the Chinese number one, and the port of Shanghai for the supply of bio-methanol and e-methanol.
Environment
The champion of water and waste management Suez has obtained a contract via a consortium of companies for a seawater desalination project, the amount of which has not been specified.
Luxe
The world number one in cosmetics, L’Oréal, has sealed a three-year partnership with the Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba in terms of “sustainable consumption”.
Agri-food
The French pork sector has obtained 15 new authorizations from the Chinese authorities for more exports to China. Pork is by far the most consumed meat in this country of 1.4 billion people and is a staple in many Chinese dishes.
Culture
The Palace of Versailles and the Forbidden City have agreed on an exhibition in China next year. Initially scheduled for 2020, it will finally take place in the year of the 60th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between France and China. In doing so, 150 objects from the collections of Versailles will be presented to the Chinese public to evoke the exchanges between the two countries in the 18th century.