The middle of last April saw an Agreement for Cooperation on Civil Aviation Technology signed by the State Commission of Science, Technology and Industry for National Defence and Russian Space Agency in Moscow. Guo Zhaoping, deputy director of the Department for International Cooperation of the State Commission of Science, Technology and Industry for National Defence said, the signing of the agreement has rendered the two parties a policy and legal support for the cooperation in the civil aviation technological field. China and Russia have set up a special joint commission for the technological cooperation with some specialist teams subordinated to it.

As Guo revealed at a special interview with the reporter, the Sino-Russian Civil Aviation Technology Agreement for Cooperation includes the following four major aspects: to study on special subject for prospective airplanes, to study and develop civil trainer aircraft, to carry out scientific and research work on the aerodynamics, mechanics, material science and ecology and safety in the development of new-generation aircraft and helicopter for civil use and to develop and manufacture experiment equipment and other rack and pad as well.

The official stressed that the agreement was only a skeleton of a statutory document, which expressed the wishes of the two sides for cooperation in the civil aviation technology field but did not deal with particular types of aircraft and other concrete steps for putting it into execution. The agreement for cooperation between China and Russia is just like a stage put up by the two governments for aviation industry to act on, said he in a figurative way. What "play" is going to be put on depends on the "actors and actresses", namely the particular items, ways and program for cooperation will be materialized by the aviation industry circles and enterprises of the two countries in accordance with the market needs.

As to the much-talked-about aircraft on the feeder lines, Guo Zhaoping said, China encourages and supports the aviation enterprises to develop new types of aircraft on feeder lines. The research and manufacturing work will be carried out for international airworthy aeroplane in the spirit of "developing actively international cooperation with China playing the principal part in it". At present, a preparatory work is being carried out in China for developing new feeder line airplanes. For this, many manufacturers including those from Russia are in touch with the Chinese enterprises for making an active discussion on the possibility and concrete ways of cooperation for the new feeder line aircraft.

Guo Zhaoping specially pointed out, the Chinese government welcomes and actively supports aviation circles of all countries in the world to join and carry out aviation technology cooperation at multiple levels and in diversified forms on the basis of reciprocal and mutual benefit. He said, China's joining the World Trade Organization will "make better an environment for cooperation".

(People's Daily June 24, 2002)