Chinese commerce minister meets with Airbus CEO

BEIJING -- China's Commerce Minister Wang Wentao met with Airbus CEO Guillaume Faury in Beijing on Tuesday, according to a statement released by the Ministry of Commerce on Wednesday.

Wang noted that China's market has continued to expand steadily in recent years, becoming the world's second-largest consumption market as well as the second-largest import market.

The country will further advance Chinese modernization and foster new quality productive forces, the minister said, adding that this will create vast opportunities for foreign enterprises, including Airbus.

Airbus on Wednesday inaugurated its latest Final Assembly Line for A320 family aircraft in the northern Chinese city of Tianjin, the second of its kind in both China and the whole Asia.

Wang expressed the hope that Airbus would take the launch of the final assembly line as an opportunity to deepen cooperation with China and deliver more high-quality aviation products and services.

With unilateralism and protectionism posing challenges to the international economic and trade order, Wang said the Chinese side will continue to make good use of the roundtable mechanism for foreign enterprises, actively address Airbus' concerns regarding its operations in China, and work together to safeguard the stability of global industrial and supply chains.

Faury said Airbus has confidence in the Chinese economy and the development of China's civil aviation sector.

He added that the firm is committed to deepening its presence in the Chinese market and contributing to China-France and China-EU economic and trade cooperation.