• 

On the last day of President Emmanuel Macron's state visit to China, the France-based company Airbus said on Friday it had reached an agreement to sell 50 helicopters to the Chinese leasing company GDAT. 

"We are honored GDAT has decided to bolster their all-Airbus fleet of 26 helicopters with the addition of 50 H160 helicopters," Bruno Even, CEO of Airbus Helicopters, stated. 

Macron visited Guangzhou in China's southern industrial heartland on Friday, the final stop on a three-day visit in which he has constantly pushed his counterpart Xi Jinping to help end the war in Ukraine. 

His office had previously stated that he would seek "another path" away from the frequently blatantly adversarial approach used by the United States, with commerce still being viewed as a crucial component of relations. 

"This contract is a great example of the importance of economic and trade cooperation between France and China," Peter Jiang, chairman of GDAT, was quoted as saying in the Airbus statement.

The Chinese emergency services and government agencies are among the clients of Shanghai-based GDAT, which specializes in helicopter sales, leasing, and maintenance.  

It is worth noting that the H160 is marketed as a versatile helicopter by Airbus that can be used for roles ranging from VIP travel to military operations. 

Airbus stated that Friday's order was the largest for civilian use since the launch of the H160 in 2015. 
 
No financial details were provided about the value of the deal.

Read next: Macron arrives in China for talks with Xi on Ukraine

A record order is made for the Chinese shipyard 

Concurrently, one of China's largest shipbuilding corporations China State Shipbuilding Corporation (CSSC) and French container transportation and shipping company CMA CGM have reached a deal for the construction of 16 ultra-large heavy container ships, which is considered the largest number ever ordered from a Chinese company at one time, as per a local media on Friday.

In further detail, the Chinese newspaper Penpai reported that the order value exceeded 21 billion yuan ($3 billion).

The deal involved 12 methanol-powered, duel fuel heavy-lift container ships with a capacity of 15,000 twenty-foot equivalent units (TEU), in addition to four liquefied natural gas-powered, duel fuel super heavy-lift container ships with a capacity of 23,000 TEU, as per reports.

Also in October, Chinese media reported that shipyards there are operating nonstop to supply the liquefied natural gas carriers that Europe needs. The Global Times reported that as a result, orders for LNG carriers have recently increased by double digits, with several significant Chinese shipbuilders reporting order delays that may extend until 2026.

The visit of the French President alongside the EU chief comes after years of souring relations with China over issues involving a stalled investment pact, criticism of China's alleged transparency on COVID-19, and reluctance to condemn Russia in the Ukraine war. 

China has adopted a neutral stance on the war in Ukraine while accusing the US and NATO of provoking Moscow, prolonging the war, and condemning Western sanctions against Russia.

Macron told the press, upon his arrival to Beijing, that Europe should resist reducing trade and diplomatic ties with China and reject what some have cast as an "inescapable spiral" of tensions between China and the West.