China displayed its military might by exhibiting a series of brand new precision assault weapons during the on-going Zhuhai air show, which opened on Monday in South China's Guangdong Province.

The weapons on show included precision-guided bombs and long-range striking systems hailed by military experts as symbols that the People's Liberation Army has entered an era of precision attack.

In a rare collective appearance, the air show also brought together a number of new air, naval and surface-to-surface missiles, reports said.

For example, the LT-2 500-kilogram laser-guided bomb and the LS-6 glide-guided bomb, developed by the China Aviation Industry Corporation I, both made debuts at the show. Both types of bombs were designed on the basis of traditional bombs, reports said.

The China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation displayed two types of precision-guided bombs FT-1 and FT-3, which enjoy a high percentage of hits and can be widely used for short-distance air raids and blockage as well as disrupting an enemy's air defense and crippling naval ships, according to the reports.

The China Aerospace Science and Industry Corporation (CASIC), another State-owned weapons manufacturer, exhibited around 20 types of missiles at the sixth China International Aviation and Aerospace Exhibition.

The P12 strategic missile system developed by CASIC, was regarded as the most intriguing and eye-catching item on display.

CASIC said the missile defense system demonstrates China's capability to defend the country's airspace and territory.

Yin Xingliang, CASIC general manager, said China's missile systems had reached the technical level of developed countries in the late 1990s.

Yin also said CASIC had worked for the peaceful utilization of technologies in the military industry and aerospace technologies in the civil aviation industry.

After about 50 years of development, China is catching up with the worlds most advanced technology in the design of air-to-air missiles, said Jin Xianzhong, a senior missile designer, in an Internet interview on Tuesday.

(China Daily November 1, 2006）