BEIJING, Feb. 11 (Xinhua) -- As China and Europe have pushed forward cooperation in a world faced with mounting challenges, businesses across Europe have applauded the amity and expressed hope for stronger ties.

"Airbus values its strong partnership with China and is willing to support the modernization of China's industry by further strengthening cooperation with China's supply chain and business partners," the aerospace giant's CEO Guillaume Faury told Xinhua.

In 2020, the European plane-maker delivered 99 commercial aircraft to China, representing 17.5 percent of its annual global deliveries. In the fourth quarter, notably, the China proportion accounts for 25 percent of the company's global deliveries.

Faury said Airbus is convinced that the conclusion of negotiations of an investment agreement between China and the European Union (EU), and the strong momentum of China's economy will lay a solid foundation for global recovery and create opportunities for cooperation.

China's foreign trade and investment is expecting a "big expansion" in the years ahead, said Chairman of Britain's 48 Group Club Stephen Perry. "It will require new strategies for European companies."

As China has become the first major economy to return to growth amid the COVID-19 pandemic, it has boosted the sluggish global market. According to a recent report from the French Federation for Beauty Companies, China is becoming the leading market for French cosmetics.

"We hope to join hands with more Chinese and European partners to drive more consumers to embrace 'good consumption' through more innovative products, brands, services and models," said L'Oreal CEO Jean-Paul Agon.

With its decades-long growth in the Chinese market, the beauty company now considers China, its second largest market in the world, as a home field for the group's global innovation, Agon said, noting that it was China that led the group's return to growth at an early time in 2020.

"The steady progress of China-EU cooperation in the past has brought opportunities from all over the world to promote growth in China and at the same time let opportunities in China grow into opportunities for the whole world," Agon said.

"We firmly believe that as long as we keep working together and forging ahead, the warm spring of China-EU relations will inject a warm current into China, Europe and the world, and make our common tomorrow even better," he added.