French companies seize opportunities from China's development

TIANJIN -- With over a decade of service in China, Christoph Schrempp, general manager of the Airbus Tianjin Delivery Center, has been a firsthand observer of the symbiotic growth and innovative advancements in the aviation industries of China and France.

Airbus has effectively leveraged the synergies between these two countries, exploring new frontiers such as green industries and clean energy in collaboration with Chinese partners.

"We closely cooperate with China National Aviation Fuel Group to make the internationally accepted SAF (Sustainable Aviation Fuel) standard. That will be very helpful to deploy further. It will also be a win-win solution for Chinese aviation industry," said Schrempp.

In addition, Airbus inaugurated a service center in Chengdu, southwest China's Sichuan Province, in January, dedicated to the complete life cycle of an aircraft. This marks the company's inaugural center of its kind outside Europe.

In May, China and France inked 18 cooperation agreements between government agencies covering aviation, agriculture, people-to-people exchanges, green development and SME cooperation.

Since the establishment of diplomatic ties 60 years ago, China and France have seen an almost 800-fold increase in bilateral trade, reaching 78.9 billion U.S. dollars in 2023, as reported by China's Ministry of Commerce. Over the past six decades, the cumulative two-way investment has surpassed 26 billion U.S. dollars, with more than 2,000 French companies now operating in China.

In March, Stago, a French healthcare company specializing in in-vitro diagnostics, embarked on the localized manufacturing of medical devices with the establishment of Tianjin Stago Medical Devices Co., Ltd. The company initially set up a small factory in Beijing's Shunyi District in 2003, which was later expanded to a larger facility, and then the company inaugurated a second plant this year.

Philippe Barroux, general manager of Stago's subsidiary in China, underscores the importance of localized manufacturing in China.

"Local government has provided unwavering support since our arrival, facilitating dealings with various administrations, customs, taxation, banking, and local food and drug administrations," Barroux noted.

Stago is also seeking high-quality suppliers in north China's Tianjin Municipality to secure superior raw materials for its products. Barroux elaborated, "We are looking for suppliers who can provide us with high-quality standard raw materials, so that step by step, we can introduce them in our products."

Dynapac, a manufacturer of a comprehensive range of compaction and paving equipment under the French Fayat Group, saw its subsidiary, Fayat (Tianjin) Trading Co., Ltd., officially commence operations as the global spare parts logistics and procurement center for the Fayat Group in 2023.

Annie Bo, managing director of Dynapac China, credits China's 5G technology and the 24-hour customs clearance policy for enabling a 24-hour automated spare parts supply chain globally and facilitating procurement transaction settlements.

"In the future, we will continue to increase investment and develop new products in China," Bo said.