China's HNA Group said on Wednesday that Wang Jian, a chairman and co-founder, died during a business trip in France on July 3 after a serious injury caused by a fall.

HNA, one of China's most acquisitive conglomerates, which has been selling assets to slash debt, said that Wang, 57, suffered a fall in Provence and received medical treatment but did not recover.

A police source in France said Mr Wang had died after a 10 metre fall off a wall while trying to take photographs in the village of Bonnieux, near Avignon.

He tried to climb a low wall to see the view and take pictures," the source said. After failing a first time, Mr Wang took a run up. "He fell over the top and dropped 10 metres."

HNA, based on the southern Chinese island of Hainan, is best known as the owner of Hainan Airlines and for holding stakes in Deutsche Bank and Hilton Worldwide.

Mr Wang, who held a stake of just under 15pc in the group, was in charge of its strategy and ran day-to-day operations, sources familiar with the matter have said, while his fellow chairman, Chen Feng, was often the public face of the conglomerate.