European aviation group Airbus hopes to build a partnership with China as close as it has with Germany, Britain and other European nations, Airbus spokesman Philippe Delmas said recently.

The success of Airbus benefits from the overall aviation development in Europe and if the company wants to hold a safe lead, it should enhance global cooperation including the cooperation with China, Delmas said.

China requires an additional 1,500 large airplanes in the next two decades, becoming the second largest aviation market in the world after the United States, and Airbus expects to obtain at least 50 percent of its market share.

Last September, Airbus promised to raise its annual purchase value of plane parts from China from 10 million US dollars to 60 million dollars by 2007. As it had met the promised purchase value now, it will increase the annual purchase value to 120 million US dollars.

Delmas noted that Airbus will also transfer its technology to China and conduct technological cooperation with China.

As a leading aircraft manufacturer, Airbus produces airplanes with numbers of seats ranging from 100 to 500. It has built research centers and factories in France, Germany, Britain and Spain and set up wholly-invested sub-companies in the United States, China and Japan.

(Xinhua News Agency July 28, 2004)