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Actively Organizing Export of Aviation Products

China's aviation industry began to export its products to foreign countries from the end of the 1950s. But at that time products were exported as free aid. During the 20 years from the 1950s to 1970s, China had provided several thousand aircraft to 17 developing countries free of charge. Since the making of aircraft consumes large amount of investment and China itself is a developing country, China could not afford to provide assistance free of charge for long. Therefore when the policy of opening to outside world was implemented in January 1979, the Chinese government decided to change the free assistance into paid trade. The first formal contract for exporting aircraft was signed in that year, which marked the beginning of a new stage in foreign trade of aviation product.

Export of aircraft, engine and their spare parts is the focal point for export in China's aviation industry. China's aircraft has good basic performance. They are priced comparatively low on the international market, and can be conditionally retrofitted according to customer's requirement, therefore China's aircraft are loved by their customers. Starting from 1980, large number of J-6 and J-7 aircraft have been exported; J-7M fighter and Q-5111 attack aircraft which have been modified with advanced electronic equipment introduced from abroad also enjoy a good sale.

From 1979 to 1986, China had exported to more than ten countries several hundred aircraft and engines, including both military aircraft and Y-12 II passenger aircraft, spares for aircraft, engines, ground equipment and associated aircraft tools. About one thousand maintenance people from customers have been trained and 70 specialist teams have been sent out to customers' countries for after sale service. It was really not easy to obtain such an encouraging result at the starting stage of China's aircraft export amongest so many strong competitors in the severe competition on international aircraft market.

While exporting aircraft, engines and spare parts China's aviation industry also exported major machined components for aircraft and engines under subcontracts to aircraft and engine manufacturers in U.S.A., Canada, France, England and Italy. Those components were manufactured according to international advanced standard with good and reliable quality and been praised by customers.

The export of non-aero products was actively organized at the same time of developing export of aviation products. Aviation industry is a sophisticated machinery industry and it can provide a variety of civil mechanical and electrical products to both domestic and foreign markets after its adjustment of military - civil production structure. Export of civil mechanical and electrical products started in the early 1980s, which included measuring tools, cutting tools, aggregate fixtures, forgings, castings and precision machine tools. When the western countries were using NC machines in large scale, developing flexible manufacturing systems and worrying about the long lead time in manufacturing special fixtures which could not meet the requirement of new systems, China's aviation industry sent its aggregate fixtures to the international flexible manufacturing systems conference held in London, 1983 as well as the Birmingham International Machine Tools and Tools Exhibition, 1984 in England, which drew people's attention and won their welcome.

The exported measuring and cutting tools meet international standard with good performance and quality and have won good reputation. Carl Zeiss Co. of the Federal Republic of Germany bought a batch of quartz glass ball from China's Aviation Precision Machinery Research Institute as its process measuring datum after a long time comprehensive checking and inspection, believing it reached the high precision standard in every aspect. Having checked the quality of large size granite tables (2.2 x 1.4 m) manufactured by China's Aviation Pneumatic Tools Factory and confirmed that the accuracy was up to grade "0", the Zeiss Co. ordered 50 pieces as major components of its precision three-axis measuring machines it is selling to the world.

Export of China's aviation industry is now in the ascendant. At the working meeting of aviation foreign trade held in August 1986 presided over by Vice Minister Jiang Xiesheng, the issue of opening to the outside world was discussed as one of the strategic tasks for the development of aviation industry and experience was summed up to accelerate the progress of foreign trade. In September 1986, China's aviation industry participated the Farnborough International Air Show in England for the first time with models and photographs of 11 types of aircraft and missiles, reflecting economical and technical capabilities of China's aviation industry. It aroused visitors' great interest. The British Foreign secretary Sir Geoffrey Howe visited the Chinese stand at the Show. Chinese aircraft had won praises from aviation specialists of other countries who were shocked to see so many aircraft and missiles first shown by China. Some visitors voiced their doubt about the actual aircraft J-8 II being manufactured in China just by seeing its model until they had watched a video tape of J-8II flying, they couldn't help praise it with their thumbs up.