European small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) are trying to get a share of China's aviation and aerospace industry, as the world's second-largest air transport market becomes a battleground for large multinationals.

More than 150 aviation suppliers, mostly small and medium-sized enterprises, attended yesterday's Aeromart Beijing. It was the first time the convention, which has been held for 12 years in Toulouse, France, was hosted in China. The two-day event was sponsored by Airbus, China Aviation Industry Corp I (AVIC I) and AVIC II.

"Airbus wants to help Tianjin develop its aeronautical activities not only with the A320 final assembly line, but also by bringing good companies to Tianjin for development," said Marc Bertiaux, Airbus vice-president for industrial cooperation and partnership with China.

As China's fleet numbers increase, there is also a growing after-sales market for foreign companies to support Chinese airlines by providing maintenance, repair and consulting services in the country, said Bertiaux.

About 60 percent of the foreign companies attending the event are suppliers to Airbus.

Some of them will visit the Airbus A320 final assembly line site in Tianjin on Thursday. The final assembly line, Airbus' first outside Europe, is now under construction. It will start assembling the A320 family jet next summer and will deliver the first aircraft in the first half of 2009.

Around 70 Chinese companies, mostly subsidiaries of AVIC I and AVIC II, also attended the event.

"Having established stable partnerships with large companies such as Airbus and Boeing, we want to promote cooperation between our subsidiaries and SMEs in Europe," said Chen Guanjun, vice-president of AVIC I's department of marketing and international cooperation.

LATecis, a French supplier to Airbus, plans to manufacture jigs and tools for the Tianjin A320 final assembly line in the northern coastal city, said Jacques Smeyers, LATecis chairman, at the event.

The company will sign a contract on Wednesday with Chinese manufacturer Tianjin Saixiang Technology (TST) Co Ltd. TST will manufacture the jigs and tools designed by LATecis.

"There is a possibility for us to increase our presence in China, maybe by starting a joint venture. But as an SME we have to wait so that we can better understand how things work in China. We are in the observation phase," Smeyers said.

(China Daily September 18, 2007)