PRAGUE, Oct. 8 -- China will promote cooperation with the Central and Eastern European countries (CEECs) as there is great potential for cooperation in the civil aviation industry, said Cui Xiaofeng, deputy director of the Civil Aviation Administration of China Tuesday.

Cui made the remarks here at the First Civil Aviation Business Forum between China and the CEECs, hosted by the Sino-Czech Aviation Association.

At present, global civil aviation is faced with unprecedented challenges as well as historical opportunities, he said, adding that artificial intelligence, block chain and 5G mobile communication technology have empowered civil aviation equipment to be smarter, enabled civil aviation service to be more personalized, offered passengers more convenience, and allowed international cooperation to be more diversified.

In recent years, China's general aviation industry has enjoyed a rapid growth and more market opportunities are emerging, said Cui, citing a total number of 241 general aviation airports, and 471 general aviation enterprises with 2,583 aircrafts that China boasts.

The CEECs have rich practical experience in aircraft manufacturing, professional training, airport operation and low altitude airspace management, he said, adding that the forum served as a platform to promote exchanges and cooperation between the two sides.

In 2018, more than 1.4 million Chinese citizens traveled to the CEECs, while around 350,000 people from the CEECs toured China. China's general aviation enterprises imported various types of aircrafts from the CEECs, including JA-600 and FM-250.

China's provinces of Sichuan, Zhejiang, Hebei and Jiangsu signed strategic cooperation agreements on aircraft R&D and manufacturing with enterprises from the Czech Republic, Slovenia and other CEECs, Cui said.