The Fourth China International Aviation and Aerospace Exhibition, which has attracted 370 enterprises from 28 countries and regions, kicked off at the Zhuhai International Airport Monday and runs until Thursday.
Though the long-awaited China-made JIAN-10 fighter jet is not on display at the air show, China Aviation Industry Corporation I (AVICI) did bring a model of its newly developed SUPER-7 fighter jet as a substitute.
The SUPER-7 is a third-generation fighter plane. It's advanced radar positioning and operating systems give the plane greater flexibility and better close-range manoeuvrability.
The SUPER-7 carries 3.8 tons of missiles and has improved systems for attacking ground targets.
AVICI is also displaying its KUNLUN-2 aviation jet engine and its ARJ-21 regional aircraft in its 1,500-square-meter exhibition area.
Once again, international aviation companies have continued to show their enthusiasm for China's only government-sponsored air show.
For the aircraft-manufacturing giants Airbus and Boeing, the Zhuhai airshow is another opportunity for them to demonstrate their offerings to the Chinese market.
In the first news conference of the series of news briefings of the air show, Guy Mcleod, president of Airbus China Company, announced that Airbus would order a huge ship from Nanjing Jinling Shipyard to transport A380 plane parts.
In addition, Airbus will sign three contracts with Chinese companies Tuesday to manufacture Airbus parts in the near future.
Boeing China Company brought its entire management team to Zhuhai with the purpose of expressing its determination to exploit the world's largest potential aviation market.
The company released its latest forecast for the growth of China's aviation market, predicting that China will need 1,900 new jet aircraft over the next 20 years.
(People's Daily November 5, 2002)
