An overseas returnee behind China’s aerospace ambition

(Dr. Xu and his wife are invited to watch the first flight of C919.)

The night before the flight, Dr. Xu arrived at the airport at around 11:00 p.m., only to find that C919’s general assembly shop was still illuminated with lights. Staff from Honeywell and COMAC (Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China, Ltd.) were still testing the flight control system. They did not leave until 4:00 a.m. And they were well accustomed to such a daily schedule.

Regarding some critics’ doubts about the extent of China’s self-development of C919, Dr. Xu gave his reply, “There are two points I want to make. First, the whole project was led by COMAC, which is very important. Second, COMAC has created an amazing platform, because from 2008 to 2018, while leading the enormous project of C919, which was highly resource-intensive, COMAC had to build its company and its team, an extraordinary accomplishment for a company in just ten years. It created two platforms: ARJ21 and C919. And CR929 will be ready soon. I think what it has done is unparalleled.”