China will push for a rapid reform of its aviation industry to meet the demands of its fast-growing economy and to boost competitiveness, a senior official said Sunday at an aerospace forum in this southern Chinese city. Gao Hongfeng, vice minister of civil aviation, said China would open up the market as part of its strategy since it joined the World Trade Organisation.
In 2003, the total turnover of China's air transport reached 17.1 billion tonne-kilometres, passengers numbered 87.59 million and cargo transport amounted to 2.19 tonnes, with an average annual increase rate of 18 percent, 16 percent and 16 percent, respectively.
The rate of increase of air transport in China is three times higher than that of the world as a whole, Gao said.
"It is a key period not only in China's modernisation process but also in terms of the substantial reform and change of China's economic and social structure," he said, addressing the International Aviation and Aerospace Forum in Zhuhai city, adjoining the formerly Portuguese-ruled Macau.
Although China's air market is the fastest growing in the world, Gao said the quality of its civil aviation development was at a comparatively low level.
"At present personnel training, infrastructure and management cannot match the fast growth of air transport, and this problem is becoming more and more serious," Gao said.
"Air transport still suffers the imbalance between eastern and western regions... relevant laws and regulations are not complete; air transport enterprises still do not have strong international competitiveness," he said ahead of the official opening later Sunday of the Fifth China International Aviation and Aerospace Exhibition.
Gao said the Chinese authorities plan to relax restrictions on the approval of domestic route operation and to encourage investments including from abroad in aviation projects.
The authorities will support domestic airlines to forge alliances with foreign companies, boost the training of technicians and encourage local companies to recruit talent from overseas, Gao said.
The exhibition, held once in two years, is China's only international airshow. This year's event is being attended by delegations from 32 countries and regions and has drawn big global players including Boeing, Airbus, Embraer.
One of the highlights of the show will be the first showing of a new short-range ultra-low-altitude portable air defence missile.
The weapon is primarily for conducting field operation in air defence and can be used against low-flying military helicopters, ground-attack aircraft, unmanned aircraft and cruise missiles, said the official Xinhua news agency. A model of L15, a third generation training aircraft made by China was also on show.
The "Golden Dream" from Britain and the "August 1st" of Chinese Air Force, will also stage performances at the show, which ends on November 7.
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