As China and France celebrate 60 years of diplomatic ties, we sat down with Frédéric Barbier, a French biz whiz steering his company's China operations, to unpack what makes this market tick. Spoiler: It's not just about the 🥢 and 🥐!
The 'Made-for-China' Playbook
\"Success here is like mastering spice levels in Sichuan hotpot,\" laughs Barbier. His survival kit? Hyper-localized products (think AI-powered skincare tools blending French luxury with Chinese tech), douyin marketing campaigns, and hiring Gen-Z 'cultural translators' who speak meme dialects. 💡
Beyond the Great Firewall
Contrary to expat stereotypes, Barbier raves about Shanghai's 24/7 convenience ecosystem: \"My WeChat Pay works faster than my morning espresso machine!\" He credits China's digital-first hustle culture with pushing global brands to innovate at warp speed. 🚀
The Next 60 Years
With China-France trade hitting $80B+ annually, Barbier's betting big on green tech collabs: \"Our Marseille wind farm project uses 60% Chinese components. That's modern diplomacy!\"
