A China-made Y-12IV airplane has been listed as a candidate to serve as the Zambian president's personal plane, sources said Wednesday in Harbin, capital of northeast China's Heilongjiang Province.
Qu Jingwen, vice general manager of the Harbin Aircraft Industrial Group, said an evaluation team consisting of a Zambian air force commander and officials from the Zambian Embassy in China visited the company Tuesday and carefully examined the Y-12IV's technological performance and other indications.
"The Zambian officials thought highly of the Y-12IV's function, reliability and its cheap cost," Qu said. "We are optimistic that it will win the global bidding as the plane for the Zambian president."
The Harbin Aircraft Industrial Group, one of China's major plane producers, has long maintained a good relationship with Zambia, which bought a total of four Y-12s in 1993 and 1995.
The Y-12 is the most successful Chinese aircraft in the world commercial market with more than 120 exported to more than 20 countries.
The Y-12IV, with a capacity of 19 passengers, is the most developed model in the Y-12 family and received the FAA (Federal Aviation Administration) license from the United States in 1995.
(People's Daily August 31, 2003)
