China will have developed its own advanced large passenger jets on a par with the Airbus A320 and A340 by 2016, Gu Songfen of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and Academy of Engineering said on 10 January.

In previous decades two factors impeded the progress of China's commercial aircraft industry; lack of national investment, and lack of markets.

But the government recently included building large passenger aircraft as one of sixteen top projects in the country's "National Long and Medium-term Science and Technology Development Plan".

In 2007 the State Council designated the development of large aircraft as a key national science and technology project.

Premier Wen Jiabao said building large aircraft is the will of the nation, a symbol of the country's development, and is of profound scientific and economic significance.

China's first homegrown regional jet ARJ21-700 "Xiang Feng" made its maiden flight in Shanghai last November and is presently undergoing trials before entering the market.

The successful maiden flight of "Xiang Feng" was a sign of China's progress in regional jet development, and established a solid foundation for the manufacture of large aircraft.

(China.org.cn by Wu Huanshu February 11, 2009)