China Commercial Aircraft Corporation won its first foreign contract at the show, worth up to 750 million US dollars. And five other Chinese plane manufacturers have also signed deals with overseas buyers, with a total of 45 planes sold.

Yang Ming from China Aviation Group Corp., said, "This means China's aviation industry has increased in strength to become globally competitive. It will pave the way for us to develop larger planes and achieve commercial success in this area."

These deals are expected to give a boost to China's aviation industry, particularly as worldwide financial turmoil is dragging down the development of the global aviation industry.

Since it was launched in 1996, the Zhuhai air show has become a major showcase for the international aviation industry. It's also an opportunity for China to demonstrate the strength of its own aviation industry.

(CCTV November 6, 2008)