Despite a large transfer of technology in the Chinese nuclear program, most French companies do not benefit anymore from the Chinese market. The localization rate reached 90% and French companies became suppliers of components, spare parts and specific services, but cannot participate in large tenders.
Furthermore, China is now exporting the HPR1000, a reactor based mostly on the EPR and M310.
On January 9, Chinese President Xi Jinping and French President Macron, who paid a state visit to China, jointly witnessed the large-scale economic and trade cooperation between China and France in the fields of aviation and nuclear power. This dream cooperation may become the largest transfer or technology implemented and the continuous decline of France.
In addition, during his visit, China and France set up a commission of Sino-French entrepreneurs, all of whom are top enterprises in China and France, covering advanced manufacturing, agri-food, biomedicine, financial services and other fields, highlighting “exemplary” role of China-France cooperation in such traditional areas as nuclear energy, aviation, automobiles, etc. but also shows the potential for cooperation in new areas such as financial services, cross-border e-commerce and energy conservation and environmental protection.
The Chinese board of directors in the committee includes Bank of China (as Chairman on Chinese side), China National Nuclear Corporation, China National Machinery Industry Corporation, China Commercial Aircraft Corporation Limited, China Investment Corporation, Dongfeng Motor Group Co., Ltd., China National Building Materials Group Co., Ltd. , China Poly Group, China General Nuclear Group Co., Ltd., China National Chemical Corporation, China Mobile Communications Group Co., Ltd., Alibaba Group, Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd., Jingdong Group and ZTE Corporation.
The French board of directors includes Schneider Electric (as Chairman on French side), Air Liquide, Airbus, Areva, Biomérieux, BNP Paribas, Danone, Dassault Systèmes, EDF, Fives, Groupe SEB, LVMH, Michelin, PMU, Sanofi, Sodexo and Suez.
