[ash]

SHANGHAI - China is considering a plan to develop large passenger jets in a long-term, multi-billion dollar project that it hopes would wean it from reliance on Boeing Co. and Airbus, industry sources said on Monday.

The State Council, China's cabinet, has received a project proposal drawn up after a recent hearing attended by government officials and industry experts, two industry sources told Reuters on condition of anonymity.

The country's two state aircraft makers, AVIC I and AVIC II, as well as the Commission of Science Technology and Industry for National Defense, would be involved in developing the jets, they said.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/17464179/

 

[BringIt]

This is an area that China MUST go into. All of the technology that comes out of this is even more beneficial to the entire economy than the planes themselves, not to mention all of the "supplying industries" that follows.

The sooner, the better.

 

[chinacartimes]

They MUST not go into that area yet though. Wait until they are big enough, ala America, where they can dictate their own trade terms.

If China stop buying Boeing and Airbus they will risk making the govts of US and EU cranky. Now China buys the yearly quota of a few dozen planes and everyones happy.

 

[BringIt]

Sooner or later, China will have the world's biggest commercial jet market, so politics or not, China should have a player in it, no questions about it. China can and will continue to buy from Boeing and Airbus, but having a third choice surely will drive better bargains from the big 2.

It takes decades to establish such a player, so it's not too early to start now. It may take 30+ years just to stand toe to toe with Boeing and Airbus and get 25% of the world market.

Besides, in the beginning it's the regional jet makers such as Embraer that should be affected, not big jet makers.

 

[jmsteiny]

Tough nut to crack....

I agree that eventually China will need to get into the commercial jet market...........but taking on Boeing or Airbus will be REALLY TOUGH - tougher than the car market in my opinion. Boeing are Airbus are simply GIANTS (and really the only 2 left) and I for one would not feel comfortable flying to the USA and back on anything but a Boeing or a Airbus (currently I usually fly on a Boeing 777 with China Southern Airlines, and in a few years they will use the Airbus A380 superjumbo for this flight). I think China would probably do better to take on the smaller business jets (Gulfstream, Lear........possibly a small Boeing 737 type commuter jet) than the big planes, and China's domestic passenger traffic is increasing rapidly - why not develop a plane to take advantage of that market?

 

[new1mate]

thats a good news