China's technological aspirations enter a new chapter
COMAC - the state-owned Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China, is trying its best to end China's reliance on Western technologies. They have launched their first model of passenger plane at the Singapore Airshow.
9:54 AM EST, February 20, 2024
The strategy of China
China is the biggest electronic and mechanical engineering product producer, but its most significant problem is the know-how. Since then, they have been importing all the technologies and knowledge about engineering from the West. They were sending their most capable students to study at British and American universities and other prestigious European institutes of technology. China's government is also doing its best to open its prestigious Institutes and has invested a world in them. Does the effort pay off?
It is hard to tell, but they are certainly making at least some progress. China has recently been very strongly developing its space programme and has launched several rockets into space. Now, they are launching their own brand of passenger planes in order to cut ties with Boeing and Airbus. It is the route to independence called the "Made in China" strategy, but perhaps a more suitable term would be the "Designed in China' strategy. As it is well known, know-how is the most important quality in engineering. What has been presented on the Singapore Airshow? Let us examine.
Its first commercial flight was carried out on the 23rd of May of last year (2023) by China Eastern Airlines. The plane is not yet certified for use in China only. In the foreseeable future, it can be certified in Brunei. The plane will also probably be used only in Central Asia and in Africa as the countries in those regions are more lenient and desirable of China's technologies. It is hard to imagine COMAC to compete with Boeing and Airbus in Europe and America.
We quote after the Japan Times (China debuts C919 aircraft in Singapore, but can it challenge Boeing and Airbus? - The Japan Times):
“Of course, Beijing might also provide incentives — such as financing, training, spare parts and other support — to attract other countries and airlines,” said Chen Chuanren, Southeast Asia and China Editor for the Aviation Week Network's Air Transport World. African and Latin American countries, he added, “could be next.”
