FILE PHOTO: An Airbus logo is pictured during the delivery of the new Airbus A380 aircraft to Singapore Airlines at the French headquarters of aircraft company Airbus in Colomiers near Toulouse, France, December 13, 2017. REUTERS/Regis Duvignau

PARIS (Reuters) - European planemaker Airbus AIR.PA on Wednesday named new top executives for its Chinese division, which has been a key focus during French President Emmanuel Macron's trip to China, with Airbus hoping to finalize a major Chinese contract soon.

Airbus named George Xu as chief executive officer for Airbus China, and added that Eric Chen - previously president of Airbus Commercial Aircraft China - would succeed Laurence Barron as chairman of Airbus China.

Earlier on Wednesday, Macron said a contract with China for 184 Airbus A320 narrow-body jets would be finalised soon, and that his country also had ambitions to sell A350 and A380 planes to China in the coming weeks or months.