China is considering placing an order for hundreds of Airbus SE aircraft as soon as next month, when European leaders visit Beijing to celebrate the countries’ long-term ties, according to people familiar with the matter.

China may order up to 500 Airbus jets during a key EU visit, signaling its tilt away from Boeing amid ongoing US trade tensions, Bloomberg reports.

Shares in Europe's Airbus PA rose on Wednesday as evidence of talks to sell hundreds of planes to China gathered pace ahead of a summit of European and Chinese leaders in July.