The French Ambassador to China Bertrand Lortholary delivers a speech at the opening ceremony of the French Pavilion at the third China International Consumer Products Expo (CICPE) in Haikou, South China’s Hainan Province, on April 11. Photo: Li Hao/GT

French Ambassador to China Bertrand Lortholary, attended the opening ceremony of the French Pavilion at the third China International Consumer Products Expo (CICPE) in Haikou, South China's Hainan Province, on April 11.

According to media reports, the ambassador said at the opening ceremony that many French enterprises are optimistic about the development of Hainan's tourism and consumer market and will help Hainan become a global trading platform for high-end consumer goods.

People line up in front of the national pavilion of France at the China International Consumer Products Expo (CICPE) in Haikou, South China’s Hainan Province, on April 11, 2023. Photo: Li Hao/GT

The French pavilion features 15 prestigious French brands in the fields of beauty, fashion, and art of living, as well as food, wine, and spirits, and is dedicated to showcasing the excellence, sophistication, and creativity of French consumer goods to the Chinese public. In addition to representative brands at the French Pavilion, a total of 336 French products were exhibited at this year's China consumer expo, a 50 percent increase year-on-year compared with the number of brands exhibited in 2022 and more than double the number of French exhibitors at the first consumer expo, making France the largest exhibitor outside of China for the third consecutive year.

France hopes to strengthen economic and trade exchanges with China and showcase more quality French products to the Chinese public. The consumer goods trade between China and France has jumped significantly in recent years, according to the ambassador. He told a press conference at the French pavilion that exports of French luxury goods, including perfumes, cosmetics, fashion accessories, leather goods, jewelry, and wines and spirits have doubled over the last three years.

Since 2021, China has become the main market for French cosmetics exports worldwide, with Hainan being an important consumer destination. "Today, French companies are actively participating in the development of Hainan and are fully committed to helping Hainan become a global showcase trading platform for high-quality products," he said.