China is willing to continue discussions on purchasing more Airbus airplanes from France as part of bilateral cooperation in the aviation sector with the EU country, Premier Li Keqiang told the visiting French Prime Minister Edouard Philippe on Monday.

China has purchased a large number of airplanes from overseas and has many Airbus planes in operation across the country, Li said when meeting with the press with Philippe.

China and France have established an Airbus factory in Tianjin, a leading project for bilateral cooperation in aviation, said Li. The two sides reached a consensus in principle to promote aviation cooperation, Li said, who called for further cooperation with Airbus, a competitor of the US-based aircraft producer Boeing.