Flight International online news 16:00: Airbus and China Aviation Industry Corporation (AVIC 1) today signed a protocol extending their programme aimed at enabling the Chinese companies to build entire wing-boxes.
The European manufacturer says the deal was signed by Airbus general manager Iain Gray and AVIC 1 executive vice president Yang Yuzhong watched by President Hu Jintao and UK Prime Minister Tony Blair during Hu's state visit to London.
Today's signing firms up the agreement announced earlier this year covering the "third phase" of a programme which is one day expected to see AVIC 1 building entire wings.
Yang says in a statement: "With joint efforts and close co-operation of the two sides, we are very confident that we can gradually undertake the production of whole wing-box packages for the A320 family."
Gray adds: "Airbus has no comparable project with any other country. We are looking forward to extending the scope and improving the levels of co-operation with our Chinese partners."
Airbus is committed to continuing to transfer technology to China, and also to place procurement in the country worth $60 million by 2007 and $120 million 2010.
The Airbus (Beijing) Engineering Centre that it inaugurated in July now has 54 Chinese engineers in place, on its way to the planned 200.
Source: Flight International
