Xi calls for China to develop its own passenger aircraft

Chinese President Xi Jinping visited the design and research center of Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China (COMAC) in Shanghai on May 23, 2014. He boarded a prototype jet, talked with engineers and called for developing China's own large passenger jetliner.

The country should spare no effort in building a strong manufacturing industry and develop its own large aircraft to make China a "real world power," Xi said.

"In the past, someone said the best choice for us was to rent (passenger aircraft) from others and then to buy, and that the last option was to make our own," Xi told company engineers. "But we have reversed this notion. We will invest more to develop and produce our own large aircraft."

Xi boarded the prototype and sat in the first-class cabin. Company executives showed Xi the cockpit instrument layout.

Standing in front of a crowd of researchers and engineers, Xi said the nation's aviation industry was rising after decades of difficulties.

"Now we have made new strides along the path of large aircraft, and we must ‒ and will ‒ make our own large jetliner."