China will likely look to foreign investors for the country’s large aircraft program, which was announced earlier this month and given approval by the Cabinet, according to the Shanghai Daily.
Fu Shula, president of China National Aero-Technology Import&Export Corp., told the paper that it is a trend in the industry to have investments by foreign partners and co-develop products and share market risks.
“It’s a probable option for China to adopt that mode in the development of its own big aircraft,” he said.
Fu’s comments came after a ceremony for the delivery of Boeing’s 1,000th Next-Generation 737 horizontal stabilizers from Shanghai Aircraft Manufacturing Factory. Boeing told the paper that while the company welcomes competition, it has no plans as of yet to partner with China’s program.
China hopes to have its own large aircraft completed by 2020.