China's first aviation design research institute was inaugurated in Xi'an, the capital city of northwest China's Shaanxi Province Saturday.
The research institute, under the No. One Group of the China Aviation Industry, was jointly set up by the Xi'an Plane Design Research Institute and the Shanghai Plane Design Research Institute with the approval of the Commission of Science, Technology and Industry for National Defense.
The Shanghai branch of the research institute will be formally established on Sunday.
The research institute, which will boast a staff of 2,800, including one academician, 96 research fellows and 480 senior engineers, will focus on developing bombers, transport planes, civilian planes and planes for special purposes.
Liu Gaozhou, general manger of the No. One Group of the China Aviation Industry, said that the establishment of the research institute marks a major change in China's scientific research sector and will boost the development of both military and civilian aircraft.
(Xinhua News Agency June 30, 2003)
