Dassault Aviation continues to expand its market share in Greater China with an order it received for a Falcon 7X from an undisclosed Chinese customer earlier this week. Signed on the eve of the ABACE 2016 show, the contract calls for delivery of the new aircraft in the middle of this year.

Speaking on Tuesday at ABACE in Shanghai, Dassault Aviation senior vice president of civil aircraft Olivier Villa underscored the importance of the Greater China region to the company, noting it is the second-largest market for the Falcon 7X. “And it still is,” Villa said, noting the new contract. The company, which also has secured its first order in Greater China for an 8X, is hoping to build on that growth with this new model, which is a derivative of the 7X. The first 8X for a Chinese customer will be delivered next year and will be operated by Hong Kong-based management company HK Bellawings.

Jean-Michel Jacob, president of Dassault Aviation Falcon for Asia-Pacific, conceded that the market in China “has been somewhat quiet” recently, with some aircraft leaving the country. Jacob, however, echoed sentiments of other industry leaders that the long-term growth prospects remain strong, adding that there’s no reason a country the size and with the economy of China would not continue to grow and have a “reasonable fleet of business jets.”