Top-ranking luxury products from Paris were brought on show on Tuesday in Shanghai, China's fashion center.

Chanel's camellia tree decorated with 1,550 diamonds was the focus of the 14-day exhibition, brought by a French trade delegation lead by ministerial representative of foreign trade Christine Lagarde.

Attending the French Luxuries Exhibition were French Minister of Handicrafts Renaud Dutreil and over 40 prestigious French business people.

The French businessmen predicted that China will become the world's biggest luxuries consumer by the year 2011, and Shanghai will be the Oriental Fashion Center.

Lagarde said that China is a big market for French luxuries and France-made Airbus planes. French enterprises are also interested in opportunities brought by the 2010 World Exposition, to be held in Shanghai.

Zhou Yupeng, vice mayor of Shanghai said during his meeting with Lagarde that the 2010 Shanghai World Exposition is expected to attract 70 million visitors.

French investment in Shanghai has added up to US$1.3 billion, according to statistics from the Shanghai Foreign Trade and Economic Commission.

The investment was mainly made by large companies. Small and medium-sized French companies have been looking for opportunities in trade with China. A trade fair for these companies will be held on November 17 in Shanghai, providing a match-making opportunity for 500 Chinese companies and 300 French firms.

(Xinhua News Agency October 26, 2005)