European planemaker Airbus is negotiating a new round of plane orders with China, coinciding with a visit by French President Emmanuel Macron to the economic superpower later this week, government and industry sources said.
The potential deal for dozens of jets comes amid worsening relations between Washington and Beijing, which have seen China’s usually balanced airplane imports tilt towards Airbus in recent years.
“Negotiations are under way,” an official in Macron’s office said, adding that any agreements by French firms would not merely consist of repackaging earlier announcements.
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An industry source cautioned there were several moving parts in the talks, with details not yet finalised, Reuters reported.
Macron is due to conduct the state visit to China on April 5-7, with a delegation of company chiefs from France-based companies, expected to include Airbus CEO Guillaume Faury.
In July last year, China’s “Big Three” state airlines pledged to buy a total of 292 Airbus jets in the biggest order by Chinese carriers since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.
In November, China’s state buying agency said it had signed a deal for 140 Airbus jets during a visit by Germany Chancellor Olaf Scholz, but the planemaker said the announcement covered deals already on its books, including part of the July deal.
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