On March 20, the head of China's flag carrier welcomed his country's mooted plan to build big jets to rival those of Airbus and Boeing in the global civil aviation market. He did not commit to buying them, however.

"Big countries need big aeroplanes," said Li Jiaxiang, Air China chairman. "It will be a very important milestone for China's economy and its (global) influence."

The State Council, China's cabinet, announced on March 18 that it would establish a state company to begin research and development on building large passenger jets. It said the move reflected "the wish of the entire Chinese people for many years".

On March 20, Mr Li did not shed light on how Air China, which operates more than 200 foreign-built aircraft, might be involved, saying the plan was still at an early stage. He said market demand would be critical.

"The Chinese people will need to actively want to fly on a Chinese-made big jet (for the project to succeed)," he told reporters.