China plans to open its aviation market wider and is looking
outside its borders for more partnership opportunities, a senior
official with the General Administration of Civil Aviation (CAAC)
said Tuesday.
CAAC Deputy Director Li Jun made those remarks in a speech at
the China-US Aviation Symposium, which opened in Beijing
Tuesday.
CAAC and the US Trade and Development Agency (USTDA) also signed
a Memorandum of Understanding on the China/US Aviation Cooperation
Program (ACP).
Under the plan, the USTDA will improve coordination of US
private sector assistance for ACP projects, including financial
support, technology assistance and personnel training.
A formal grant agreement for the ACP may be signed later this
month.
The signing came six weeks after the head of the US Federal
Aviation Administration, Marion Blakey, met with CAAC Director Yang
Yuanyuan in late February. The two discussed working together in
air safety, including such areas as flight standards, air traffic
control, aircraft certification, airport safety management,
personnel training and data.
The symposium, sponsored by CAAC and USTDA, is designed to
provide a forum for discussion on airport downloading, aviation
safety, air traffic control, general aviation and corporate
aviation markets in China. More than 200 participants from China
and the United States attended the meeting.
"The symposium is a testament to the importance of civil
aviation infrastructure in today's world," said USTDA Director
Thelma J. Askey at yesterday's opening plenary session.
(China Daily April 7, 2004)