China to Cooperate with Foreign Firms in Aviation IndustryChina will beef up international cooperation in an effort to upgrade and inspire the country's aviation and aerospace industry, a senior Chinese official said at the third Airshow China in Zhuhai."China will try to expand its aviation industrial production in collaboration with foreign counterparts in the next few years," according to Zhang Hongbiao, deputy director of the Commission of Science, Technology and Industry for National Defense. In addition to aircraft production, domestic companies will make it a goal to become aircraft suppliers and contractors for foreign companies, Zhang said. He predicts that, by 2005, output for China's aviation industry will equal 400 million U.S. dollars. Currently, the industry production is 50-60 million U.S. dollars. Bao Peide, vice-minister of the Civil Aviation Administration of China, said the country will give special support to the development of regional flights. China will upgrade a certain number of airports and also build around 36 new airports which are suitable for smaller planes within the next five years. |
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