Seven aviation officials and technicians from the South Pacific island nations of Fiji and Tonga are being trained in a university in the north China city of Tianjin.

The seven trainees are receiving free instruction in cargo and passenger transportation and ground services in the Civil Aviation University of China (CAUC) during the ten-day program starting from Monday.

The program is part of the commitment made by Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao last year to provide training to 2,000 government officials and technical staff from Pacific island countries in three years to assist them in capacity building.

Wen also pledged three billion yuan (US$397 million) in preferential loans, to encourage Chinese investment, reduce debt-burden and bring about other policies favorable to Pacific island countries at a high-level economic forum during an official visit to Fiji last April.

The CAUC, affiliated to the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC), has been authorized by the International Air Transport Association (IATA) to conduct training in air and dangerous goods transport, and by the CAAC to train air traffic controllers, air transport agents and other aviation industry staff.

(Xinhua News Agency September 19, 2007)