China and France Thursday
signed a series of deals covering aviation, railways and nuclear
power in Beijing.
China Aviation Supplies Import and Export Group signed
an agreement with Airbus for the purchase of 150 A320 aircraft and
a letter of intent for 20 A350XWB.
The purchase represents the largest single transaction
ever for Airbus in China, the company said yesterday.
It is also the first time that China has showed
interest in buying the A350, Airbus' long-range wide-body model
which is available from 2012 and planned as competition to Boeing's
new 787.
The European aircraft maker also signed a framework
agreement on the establishment of an A320 Family Final Assembly
Line in Tianjin.
According to the agreement, aircraft assembly in China
will begin in early 2009, with the aim of ramping up production to
reach four aircraft per month by 2011.
"While the aircraft sections will continue to be
produced in Europe, the establishment of such an assembly line,
which will deliver aircraft to the same standards as those produced
in Europe, is beneficial to both China and Europe," said Louis
Gallois, Airbus president and chief executive officer, at the
signing ceremony.
In the field of railways, Alstom of France has signed
a letter of intent with the Ministry of Railways to deliver the
powerful 500 "Co-Co" (triple axle) locomotives.
The deal is valued at 1.2 billion euros (US$1.5
billion) in total, with Alstom's share worth 300 million euros
(US$375 million) and 900 million euros (US$1.13 billion) for its
Chinese partner Datong Electric Locomotives.
Alstom will design and produce the first 100
locomotives. Most of the production and quality control of the
first 100 units will be carried out at its Belfort (France)
plant.
The remaining 400 locomotives will be built at the
Datong Electric Locomotives site in China. This company has already
partnered Alstom in a 2005 contract to manufacture 180 BoBo
electric (twin axle) locomotives.
China Guangdong Nuclear Power Holding Co Ltd and the
French national energy group, EDF, signed a deal on nuclear power
production, plant construction and project development. EDF also
signed an agreement with China Datang Corporation on power plants
in China.
(China Daily October 27,
2006)
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