An overseas returnee behind China’s aerospace ambition

Following C919’s debut flight, China’s homemade large aircraft program has got even more ambition. For instance, large aircraft projects have become the focus of Shanghai’s high-end manufacturing industry. In May 2018, the Shanghai Economic and Information Technology Commission issued the “Three-year Action Plan for Shanghai Aviation Manufacturing Industry Chain Development (2018-2020),” striving to achieve a total output value of RMB 50 billion by 2020. That will lay a solid foundation for achieving the goal of a total output value of RMB 300 billion by 2035 and building an aviation manufacturing industry cluster with global influence in Shanghai.

How can China become a world-class manufacturer of aircraft components and systems? In Dr. Xu’s eyes, the key is to have dreams and perseverance. He said, “If the country has dreams and perseverance, the companies have dreams and perseverance, and the aviation workers have dreams and perseverance, China’s aviation industry, such as COMAC, AVIC or AECC, will enjoy a good position in the world, whether as a major manufacture or equipment supplier.”