People line up in front of the national pavilion of France at the ongoing China International Consumer Products Expo (CICPE) in Haikou, South China's Hainan Province, on April 11, 2023. Countries including Italy, Japan, Canada and Afghanistan have set up national pavilions. Photo: Li Hao/GT

With the presentation of a variety of premium consumer products ranging from cosmetics, fashion and food to luxury bags and wine, the French pavilion has arguably become one of the busiest spots during the ongoing third China International Consumer Products Expo (CICPE). 

This year, there are 336 French brands showing their products at the expo, and France has become the leading foreign country participating in the CICPE in terms of exhibition scale for a third consecutive year, the Global Times learned.

The wider engagement of French enterprises, many of which are third-time participants, is a vivid display of the vibrancy and diversity of trade relations between China and France. 

French enterprises said that such momentum - coupled with French President Emmanuel Macron's visit to China last week - has demonstrated that cooperation is at the heart of a future of growth in a world that has been fragmented by a decoupling push and geopolitical tensions. 

They also anticipated their businesses to benefit from more robust, closer bilateral trade ties in high-end consumption areas, as well as a swift rebound of the world's second-largest economy.

The number of French brands participating in the expo has jumped 50 percent year-on-year, according to a statement Business France, a trade facilitator for French business, sent to the Global Times. The number also doubled from that of the 2021 inaugural expo.

The French pavilion has been crowded with Chinese consumers since its opening on Tuesday morning, with some forming a 10-meter line outside and waiting for about 10 minutes at peak hours. 

This is also the third year in a row that Business France has set up a national pavilion, which aims to bring together French brands such as Caudalie, Dermina, L'Oréal, Maison Montagut and Pernod Ricard and to showcase the "French lifestyle" in fashion, beauty and fine food.

The consumer goods trade between China and France has jumped significantly in recent years, according to French Ambassador to China Bertrand Lortholary. He told a press conference at the French pavilion that exports of French luxury goods, including perfumes, cosmetics, fashion accessories, leather goods, jewelry and wine and spirits have doubled over the past three years.

France has retained its position as the leading supplier of wine and spirits in the Chinese market during the past two years. French wine accounts for roughly 30 percent of China's wine imports.

Regarding beauty products, China has become a major market for French cosmetics exports since 2021. 

"The economic relationship between China and France is very important… France is a major country in Europe, and obviously the collaboration of France with China will also open new possibilities for a stronger relationship with Europe," Fabrice Megarbane, president of L'Oréal North Asia Zone and CEO of L'Oréal China, told the Global Times on Wednesday. Last week, during a state visit by Macron, China and France signed important cooperation agreements, including those on the consumer and cosmetic fronts.

Megarbane said that an important takeaway from the visit is the spirit it sent, that "collaboration and cooperation is at the heart of a future of growth in a globalized world." He added that platforms like the CICPE have become symbols of joint cooperation between China and the rest of the world.

Based on solid bilateral trade ties, French enterprises are upbeat on how their businesses will continue to develop in China this year amid a consumption rebound. Some have launched new innovative products and programs tailored for the Chinese market during the expo. L'Oréal unveiled a scoring system for products in terms of their environmental impact, which is now applied to every Biotherm product sold in the Chinese market.  

Jerome Cottin-Bizonne, managing director of French wine and spirits group Pernod Ricard's China division, told the Global Times that Chinese consumers are still exploring more product categories and looking for diversified offers, which is a great opportunity for the company.

"China is a very big market, so consumption plays a big role for the economy. Obviously, the big consumption rebound that is expected this year will benefit not only the Chinese economy, but also the industry," Megarbane noted.