From K J M Varma Beijing, Feb 20 (PTI) China and Russia have inked a key pact to manufacture 400 small four-to-12-seater general aviation aircraft per year, a media report said today. China Oriental Sciences Group signed an agreement with China-Russia International Investment Company and a Russian aircraft design company to build a base in Erdos for manufacturing small four-to-12-seat general aviation planes, state-run People's Daily reported. The signing ceremony for a Chinese-Russian general aviation aircraft production project valued around USD 1.2 billion was recently held in Beijing, it said. The deal included setting up a general aviation research base, a general aviation pilot training base and an aviation club. The project involves a total investment of USD 1.2 billion (8 billion yuan) and the manufacturing base is expected to have an annual output of 400 planes, it said. Zhuang Zhong, president of China Oriental Sciences Group, said that general aviation aircraft production in China is still in its infancy. After completion, the project will focus on the research and development of new general aviation aircraft and new equipment, in order to ensure that its products maintain strong global competitiveness. Russia supplies Sukhoi aircraft for the Chinese military besides supplying engines for the military jet JF-17 Thunder being jointly built by China and Pakistan.
