Canadian aircraft and trains manufacturer Bombardier Inc. said it aims next year to match or beat this year's US$1.4 billion in China sales as it explores a possible China-based airplane-making venture.

Bombardier, the world's top train maker and third-largest civil aircraft manufacturer, has posted a record US$1.4 billion in China sales over the last 12 months, including orders for US$700 million worth of high-speed trains, as China upgrades its various rail and other transport systems.

“I hope we can increase, not just maintain it next year,” chief executive officer Laurent Beaudoin said Sunday on the sidelines of an event in Shanghai.

“The transport sector is really expanding, especially for passenger rail,” he said. “There are a huge number of projects to improve their rail transportation system.”

Bombardier already has two major joint ventures in China, both in the rail sector, with a total investment of about US$100 million.

But the company has also begun to explore the possibility of a new venture for its other major business, airplanes, as it competes in the market with Brazil's Embraer.

Embraer already produces jets in the north China city of Harbin, having made its first deliveries from the plant to China Southern Airlines Co. Ltd. earlier this year.

“We are discussing doing some production for planes here with the Chinese Government,” said Zhang Jianwei, president and chief country representative of Bombardier China.

He added that his company had only recently begun looking into such a venture, and that the process was still very much in an exploratory stage. He said Bombardier hasn't even decided whether it would form a joint venture or a solely-funded one.

Bombardier's airplane customers in China include China Eastern Airlines Corp. Ltd., one of China's other top three carriers, as well as several regional carriers.

Bombardier said earlier this year it was also planning to set up a new plant in China to manufacture train components.

(Shenzhen Daily November 1, 2005)