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The Chinese arm of Airbus is clamouring for high-value work assembling wings currently being built at Broughton.

That was the message from the group’s top British executive as she warned that Brexit could blunt the competitive edge of the plant, which employs 6,000 workers.

Airbus already has a final assembly line for single-aisle A320 jets in Tianjin, and China's Xian Aircraft Industry supplies wings to that site.

Airbus UK senior vice president Katherine Bennett told MPs today: "We do build wings in China now, and believe you me they’re knocking at the door as a result of the situation that we’re in in this country."

She told Parliament’s business, energy and industrial strategy committee that other Airbus divisions would “dearly love” the contracts.

Britain’s place in the customs union, single market and European Aviation Safety Agency helps Airbus send components seamlessly between plants across the continent, Ms Bennett said.

Brexit could add significant costs and red tape to the UK operation.

Stressing the importance of access to the EU, she said: “Every single thing we export from the UK goes into the EU. We don’t export anywhere else.”

She added: “The most important thing is our sites remain productive and competitive. This is the point we’ve endeavoured to make on the Brexit situation all along.

“Every single site in Airbus, whether it’s in the EU or outside the EU, has to compete for piece of investment. My role is to represent the UK and to ensure the productivity and competitiveness is in the right place for us to get that investment, and I have to say Brexit puts an extra burden on us.”