Civil aviation industry growing with global integration

BEIJING - The year 2013 for China's civil aviation industry was characterized by increasing global integration, and hopes are high that more such international cooperation can cement the sector's emergence on the world stage this year.

Asked how the Aviation Industry Corporation (AVIC) performed over the past 12 months, Chen Guanjun, vice president of international business for China's top aircraft manufacturer, beamed.

"Marvelously."

To justify his satisfaction, he cited high-profile presences at international air shows, the volume of sub-contracted production topping $1 billion, and the launch of the Modern Ark 700 China-developed aircraft project to create the world's best regional turboprop plane.

Three decades ago, China didn't figure in the international civil aviation scene, with barely any civil aircraft infrastructure. But today, it is an indispensable member of the global industry.

On Wednesday, the chairman of French aircraft engine giant Safran visited the AVIC to discuss further cooperation. Safran is just one of many foreign aviation firms that have taken a serious look at business opportunities in China.

Boeing and Airbus have equipped almost all their civil aircraft with components made in China, while Chinese-made aircraft have been exported to 40 countries.

The aviation industry involves high risks, big investments and long development periods, said Chen. "That is to say, making planes behind closed doors cannot realize healthy or sustainable development. Instead, integrating with the world is inevitable."

Integration, however, has been difficult. China was long treated as little more than a manufacturer of labor-intensive products. Due to its technological backwardness and ideological differences, the country was ignored by Western aviation giants.

Now, however, these major players cannot produce aircraft without China's contribution.

Airbus, for example, has cooperated with Chinese companies in all aspects from design to production and assembly.

More importantly, China produces the entire wing of the A320. Rafael Gonzalez-Ripoll, CEO of Airbus China, said that China is the second country after Britain to be capable of this task.

Cooperation in sub-contracted production also puts many Chinese manufacturers on the lists of global providers to international giants. Some have even become leading or exclusive suppliers.