LONDON — Bernard Arnault, chairman and chief executive officer of LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton, met with Wang Wentao, China’s minister of commerce, at Dior’s Avenue Montaigne flagship in Paris on Friday, following French President Emmanuel Macron’s controversial visit to China earlier this month.

Members of the senior management team at LVMH, including Delphine Arnault, chairman and CEO of Christian Dior Couture; Pietro Beccari, chairman and CEO of Louis Vuitton, and Stéphane Rinderknecht, chairman and CEO of the group’s beauty division, also attended the meeting with Wang, who has been in his current position since December 2020.

The corporate, which owns brands including Louis Vuitton, Dior, Sephora and Tiffany & Co., said the meeting between Arnault and Wang highlighted “the sustainable growth of the Chinese economy, the constant dynamism of LVMH’s brands in China, in addition to the longstanding and intense ties between the 2 partners.”

Wang expressed his satisfaction with the strength and variety of the world’s largest luxury group’s commitment to China, praising the “many industrial and cultural contributions” made by various brands under the group, and the care they take to “provide the identical exceptional quality products in boutiques which can be just as remarkable as in France” to Chinese customers.

Meanwhile, Arnault reiterated the group’s commitment to China and his confidence within the strength of the Chinese economy, underlining the importance that this market holds for LVMH.

For the reason that opening of the primary mainland China Louis Vuitton store at The Peninsula Beijing in 1992, LVMH has invested heavily available in the market, opening greater flagships in top-tier cities, while steadily penetrating into lower-tier cities.

Earlier this 12 months, Arnault said during an earnings call that the corporate is cautiously confident heading into 2023 amid signs of a recovery in China following President Xi Jinping’s decision to reverse strict COVID-19 restrictions.

“I’m quite confident that the Chinese leaders, being very shrewd, they are going to surely benefit from the period that’s beginning to revitalize Chinese growth. If that is so — and we’ve seen signs of it in January — then we now have every reason to be confident, even optimistic, concerning the Chinese market,” he told analysts and reporters after the posh group reported one other 12 months of record results.

During his meeting with Wang, Arnault also expressed LVMH’s willingness to contribute to promoting cultural exchanges between the 2 countries, in close collaboration with the Chinese and French authorities.

Toward the top of the meeting, it was revealed that LVMH will take part in the sixth China International Import Expo to be held later this 12 months in Shanghai, between Nov. 5 and 10. The corporate has been an energetic participant within the fair since its inception.

“The CIIE represents a singular opportunity for LVMH to have fun its close ties with China and to present to Chinese customers the brand new creations and latest innovations of its most emblematic Maisons,” LVMH said in an announcement.

It’s understood that the official signing of this partnership took place that very same day on the Ile-de-France Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

Macron visited China earlier this month and was feted elaborately by President Xi. However the French president’s visit sparked an outcry within the West for his failure to pressure China over its continued failure to criticize Russia over its invasion of Ukraine.