China will likely seek foreign partners to develop a large domestically produced commercial aircraft.

The Chinese government plans to set up an entirely new company to take on the project, which was given formal approval by the cabinet this month. China has set a target of 2020 for producing the aircraft, which will seat more than 150 passengers and carry a 100-ton payload.

However, foreign partners will likely be sought to help reduce risk, Fu Shula, president of China National Aero-Technology Import and Export, was quoted as saying. "The global trend in the aircraft manufacturing industry is to invite foreign partners to invest and co-develop components and products and share the profits and risks," Fu said Wednesday at a ceremony to mark a production milestone at the Shanghai Aircraft Manufacturing Factory.

"China is likely to adopt the model in the development of its own big aircraft," Fu said. Fu's company is a subsidiary of the state-owned China Aviation Industry Corporation I, or AVIC I, which is building the first Chinese commercial jet airliner, the midsize ARJ-21, a regional aircraft.

China abandoned a project to build large aircraft in the 1970s, but has since acquired considerable aviation engineering expertise by making components for both Boeing and Airbus. Airbus recently agreed to open a final assembly line for its midsize A320 aircraft in the northern city of Tianjin, in the province of the same name.

However, considerable foreign input will likely still be needed on any future projects. Despite the ARJ-21's reputation as homegrown, about 40 percent of its components are produced by 19 separate foreign manufacturers.

Initial versions of the ARJ, or "Advanced Regional Jet," are expected to carry 70 to 110 passengers. Although test flights are not planned for next year, AVIC I claims to have already booked 71 orders for the plane from Chinese airlines.

Source:佚名