Yang Yuanyuan, director of the General Administration of Civil Aviation of China (CAAC), and Marion C. Blakey, administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) of the United States, held talks and signed an agreement in Beijing Thursday on bilateral aviation safety cooperation.  

The two sides reached consensus on cooperation in flight standards, air traffic control, aircraft certificates, airport management and training.

According to the agreement, the two sides will strengthen cooperation in all areas. They will continue the fruitful cooperation in flight standards and will jointly carry out a project aiming to support China's air traffic control to strengthen its safety, efficiency and compatibility.

The two sides will enhance technical exchanges and cooperation on airport safety and management as well as improve training activities.

This is the first visit by Blakey since she was appointed to the post, eight years after the last visit by former administrator of the FAA.

(Xinhua News Agency February 27, 2004)